BroMenn Earns Primary Stroke Center Designation
February 27, 2007 - BroMenn Regional Medical Center in Normal, IL, has joined a select group of hospitals to be designated as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
JCAHO is an independent organization that evaluates and accredits healthcare organizations and programs throughout the U.S., setting the nation’s standards in health care. The Primary Stroke Center certification is part of JCAHO’s “Disease-Specific Care Certification” program and recognizes centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care. According to JCAHO, the certification signifies that BroMenn has the critical elements necessary to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients.
“This designation demonstrates our deep commitment to excellence in stroke care at BroMenn,” says Doug Brown, BroMenn’s director of Surgical and Neuro Nursing. “It shows that patients who come here can count on us to deliver the highest level of stroke care, from the time they arrive at the Emergency Department and on through rehabilitation and recovery.”
Every 45 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. Stroke is the nation’s third leading cause of death and a major cause of long-term disability. About 700,000 Americans will have a stroke this year, and 168,000 of them will die.
BroMenn’s stroke program provides a coordinated, comprehensive and patient-focused approach to care for adult victims ofischemic or hemorrhagic strokes and Transient Ischemic Strokes (TIAs, or “mini-strokes”). Patients access the program by referral from a neurologist and are cared for in the Intensive Care Unit or the Neuro Specialty Care Unit.
To earn JCAHO Primary Stroke Center certification, a hospital must demonstrate compliance with recommendations and guidelines created by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association. A few of these criteria are:
- Having acute stroke rapid response treatment teams
- Operating an inpatient stroke care unit
- Using standardized, pre-established stroke care protocols
- Having an integrated emergency response system for managing stroke patients
- Providing inpatient acute rehabilitation services
Stroke Center surveyors from JCAHO came to BroMenn in January for an on-site visit. Through this survey, Jean E. Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission, noted that “BroMenn demonstrated its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients.”
The Joint Commission launched the Stroke Center certification program in 2003. Founded in 1951, the Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.
