This special designation includes The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. Receiving the Gold Seal of Approval® emphasizes West Chester Hospital’s commitment to providing the greatest level of patient care by adhering to a higher standard of service for stroke patients.
“West Chester Hospital is proud to receive advanced certification from The Joint Commission,” said Tom Daskalakis, chief administrative officer for West Chester Hospital. “The certification provides us with the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide to our community.”
West Chester Hospital underwent a rigorous on-site review in September 2017. During the visit, The Joint commission measured the organization against more than 100 standards for the care of stroke patients including; door to CT scan times, how quickly patients received tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) – the clot-busting medication pioneered by UC Health, and the quality of care administered within those time frames.
“We congratulate West Chester Hospital for achieving this designation,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “By adhering to this very specific set of treatment guidelines the organization has clearly made it a priority to deliver high-quality care to all patients affected by stroke.”
Established in 2003, Advanced Certification for a Primary Stroke Center is awarded for a two-year period to Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals.
Stroke is the number four cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.