Stroke program earns Joint Commission re-certification

Christiana Care Health System has earned continued Gold Seal of Approval™ for re-certification as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America.

The national agency recognized Christiana Care based on an onsite evaluation and demonstration of compliance with nationally developed standards for stroke care. This is Christiana Care’s second time achieving the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for a Primary Stroke Center.

Christiana Care is a high-volume stroke center, ranking number 6 in the nation for the number of cases it treats. According to the latest MEDPAR data, Christiana Care treated 1,090 cases in 2009.

“This award of distinction validates all the hard work by our stroke and vascular care team in implementing processes to help us consistently deliver quality care,” said Anthony Munson, M.D., medical director of Christiana Care’s Stroke Program. “Providing patients with exceptional stroke care requires quick and efficient treatment because time lost is brain loss.”

“By achieving certification as a Primary Stroke Center, Christiana Care has proven that it has the ability to provide effective, timely care to stroke victims and can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients,” said Jean E. Range, MS, RN, CPHQ, executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission.

Each year about 795,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation’s third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.

The Joint Commission bases Primary Stroke Center Certification on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association’s statements and guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program—the nation’s first—in 2003.

Christiana Care’s Primary Stroke Center Program includes stroke evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation. The goal is helping patients make the most complete stroke recovery possible. Staff develops an individualized stroke recovery plan and closely monitors patients to help identify risk factors that can lead to further problems.

Christiana Care’s Stroke Program also received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. That award recognizes commitment and success in implementing excellent care for stroke patients following evidence-based guidelines.

Christiana Care’s Stroke Program is part of its Center for Heart & Vascular Health, the only center in the region that integrates in a single location and under one roof cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, vascular interventional radiology, cardiology and interventional nephrology.