6/22/09
Cleveland Clinic Cerebrovascular Center has been re-certified as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission.
During the on-site review, Cleveland Clinic successfully demonstrated that its stroke care program meets or exceeds national standards and guidelines.
“The Joint Commission Primary Stroke certification validates Cleveland Clinic’s continued commitment to providing comprehensive stroke care to our patients and in our community,” said Irene Katzan, M.D., M.S., Director, Primary Stroke Center, Cleveland Clinic.
Each year, about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation’s third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds and someone dies of a stroke about every three minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.
The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association’s statements/guidelines for stroke care. This certification cycle is effective beginning May 1, 2009.
Primary Stroke Centers are held to strict time frames for assessing patients who are experiencing stroke symptoms.
"During a stroke, every second counts,” said Dr. Katzan. “Cleveland Clinic has an immediate response program for acute stroke patients coming in through our Emergency Department or transferring in from other hospitals. Every patient presenting with stroke symptoms is assessed as soon as they come in the door or even while they are still in the helicopter or ambulance.”
About The Joint Commission
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. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. In addition, the Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about the Joint Commission at http://www.jointcommission.org/.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Cleveland Clinic’s Web site address is www.clevelandclinic.org/.
Media Contacts:
Molly Johnson, 216/444-1815, johnsm@ccf.org
Scott Heasley, 216/444-8853, heasles@ccf.org
