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Christian Hospital Certified as Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission
Christian Hospital is now among only 14 percent of all hospitals nationwide to be certified by The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center, along with Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Boone Hospital Center within BJC.
In 2009, Christian Hospital participated in the American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke program. The goal of the program is to improve the overall quality of care for stroke patients by improving acute stroke treatment and preventing future strokes and cardiovascular events.
Over the past year, the Christian Hospital stroke certification team has been working to develop standard-of-care guidelines and clinical pathways. Staff education and development tools also were created, and staff training began in February for EMS, CH and Northwest HealthCare emergency department staff, ICU, AMCU and the 10th floor neuro unit. Physicians and registered nurses on the neuro unit are certified in stroke care by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Services.
The core stroke certification committee includes Robert Margolis, MD, stroke program medical director; Gregg Liedtke, RN, stroke program clinical director; Sebastian Rueckert, MD; Melanie Mueth, MD, chief medical officer; Sylva McDonald, RN; Heather Hawkins, RN; Patty Eppel, RN; Ken Jackson, RN; Casey McKnelly, RN; and Tracey Spurgeon, RN.
“It’s an exciting milestone for Christian Hospital to attain certification by The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center,” says Dr. Mueth. “The entire team worked very hard on the project, which was something added onto their already ‘full plates.’
“Our medical director of stroke, Dr. Robert Margolis, made sure we adhered to the latest evidence-based practice in stroke care, Drs. Rueckert and Perry showed outstanding leadership in the ED, and Gregg Liedtke, RN, nursing director, managed the entire project and kept us on course,” Dr. Mueth says. “We are proud of all the team members’ diligent efforts.”
Christian Hospital applied in early 2010 for Joint Commission certification to be designated as a Primary Stroke Center. The Joint Commission, an independent, nonprofit organization, is the nation’s predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Overall, The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.
The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification Program, launched in December 2003, was developed in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Certification is available only to stroke programs in Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals.
The Certificate of Distinction for Primary Stroke Centers recognizes centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care. It is The Joint Commission’s first advanced certification program. Programs applying for advanced certification must meet the requirements for Disease-Specific Care Certification plus additional, clinically specific requirements and expectations.
On-site certification reviews are conducted by reviewers with expertise in stroke care. The certification decision is based on the evaluation of standards, clinical practice guidelines and performance measurement activities.
