Northside Becomes Stroke Certified

After undergoing a rigorous on-site evaluation and demonstrating compliance with nationally developed standards for stroke care, has been awarded Advanced Certification as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, in conjunction with The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

"Northside Hospital-Cherokee is honored to receive this distinction from The Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center," said Billy Hayes, CEO of Northside Hospital-Cherokee. "It celebrates the hard work of our staff, gives us the opportunity to highlight the we provide for our patients, and helps us improve care overall for our community."

According to the American Stroke Association, about 795,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke each year. It is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States.

Achievement of Advanced Primary Stroke Center Certification signifies that Northside Hospital-Cherokee has demonstrated it meets critical elements of performance to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients. The surveyor was very impressed with the hospital’s stroke team and the care that it provides.

"In achieving Joint Commission advanced certification, Northside Hospital-Cherokee has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its stroke patients," says Jean Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q. executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. "Certification is a voluntary process and The Joint Commission commends Northside Hospital-Cherokee for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves."

The Northside Hospital-Cherokee Stroke Care Program provides comprehensive care for stroke patients and those at risk, including screening, education, early diagnosis, access to a wide array of state-of-the-art treatment resources and monthly support groups. With this latest achievement by Northside Hospital-Cherokee, all three Northside hospitals now are recognized as Advanced Primary Stroke Centers, identifying these facilities as ones of quality and that are committed to providing comprehensive stroke care.

Developed in collaboration with the American Stroke Association and launched in 2003, The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification program is based on the Brain Attack Coalition's "Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers." Certification is available only to stroke programs in Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals.

For more information on The Joint Commission and American Heart Association’s Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Center visit http://www.jointcommission.org/ or http://www.heart.org/myhospital.

For more information about the Northside Hospital Stroke Care Program, visit http://www.northside.com.

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