(Teaneck)—The Joint Commission, in conjunction with The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, recently recognized Holy Name Medical Center with Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. Achievement of Primary Stroke Center Certification signifies an organization’s dedication to fostering better outcomes for patients.
“In achieving Joint Commission advanced certification, Holy Name Medical Center 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 Holy Name for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”
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.
According to data from the Department of Health’s Inpatient Quality Indicators 2012 report released in July, Holy Name Medical Center’s mortality rate for stroke is significantly lower than the state rate, and lowest among all the hospitals in Bergen County. Since the calculations are risk-adjusted, they take into account the patient population and acuity, enhancing the value of the data as an accurate measure of mortality.
“Holy Name Medical Center is thoroughly committed to providing our patients with the highest quality stroke care, as based on current scientific research, to ensure continued improvement in treatment,” said Sheryl Slonim, DNP, RN-BC, NEA-BC, Executive Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer, Holy Name Medical Center. “In addition to our Joint Commission accreditation, the Primary Stroke Center Certification has given us the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide for our patients, and has helped us improve care overall for our community.”
Holy Name will be able to display The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association Heart-Check mark for its Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. Displaying the seal and Heart-Check mark signifies that a healthcare organization is providing the “next generation of stroke or heart failure care,” and will help patients easily identify this facility as one of quality that has surpassed numerous goals in the treatment of stroke.
For more information on The Joint Commission and American Heart Association’s Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Center visit http://www.jointcommission.org/ or www.heart.org/myhospital.
