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.