Kansas City, Mo.– The Stroke Center at St. Joseph Medical Center has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. The certification follows an on-site visit from the Joint Commission last month.
St. Joseph opened the Stroke Center three years ago and recently invited the Joint Commission to do the assessment. “The certification is voluntary, yet a stroke center has to be operation for a period of time before the requesting a certification survey,” says Kathleen Henderson, RN, Stroke Program Coordinator. “Since we opened, we have consistently met Stroke Performance Measures which helps us achieve positive patient outcomes.”
The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification program is based on the Recommendations for Primary Stroke Centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stoke Association statements for stroke to evaluate a hospital functioning as a Primary Stroke Center. Stroke programs must meet core measures shown to significantly improve outcomes.
Every 45 seconds someone in America has a stroke; and every three minutes someone dies of one. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and one of the leading causes of long-term disability. ”Stroke is a time-critical diagnosis—the sooner a patient receives appropriate treatment, the better the outcome,” says Henderson. “This certification validates the excellence of our program and recognizes our commitment to providing outstanding care to stroke patients.”
St. Joseph Medical Center is an acute care facility of Carondelet Health (CarondeletHealth.org) which also includes St. Mary’s Medical Center, three long-term care facilities and home care services. Carondelet Health is dedicated to the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Our commitment to human dignity compels us to provide compassionate, quality healthcare for body, mind and spirit, with a special concern for the poor. We are responsible stewards serving the needs of all people from conception to death. Carondelet Health is a member of Ascension Health, the nation’s largest Catholic and nonprofit health system.