Good Samaritan announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. The Gold Seal of Approval^® and the Heart-Check mark represent symbols of quality from their respective organizations.

Good Samaritan underwent a rigorous onsite review in September. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement.

“Good Samaritan has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of stroke patients through its Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “We commend Good Samaritan for becoming a leader in stroke care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for stroke patients in its community.”

“We congratulate Good Samaritan 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 Good Samaritan has clearly made it a priority to deliver high quality care to all patients affected by stroke.”

“Good Samaritan is pleased to receive advanced certification from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,” said Rob McLin, President and CEO. “The certification provides us with the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide as well as to continually strive to advance our care even further.”

Established in 2003, Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers is awarded for a two-year period to Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals. The certification was derived from the Brain Attack Coalition’s “Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers” (JAMA, 2000) and the “Revised and Updated Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers” (Stroke, 2011).

“Receiving this certification is a testament to the hard work and diligence of our staff in striving to provide the best care to our patients,” said Karen Haak, Chief Nursing Officer at Good Samaritan. “Our Stroke Program Coordinator, Amanda Allen, MSN, RN, has been working with our employees and the community on increasing stroke education and improving the care we give to stroke patients every day.”

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.