| | Gundersen Lutheran is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by national organization
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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 second, and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.
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A Certificate of Distinction for stroke care from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) makes Gundersen Lutheran the 10th healthcare facility in Wisconsin and the only one in the 7 Rivers Region to achieve Primary Stroke Center status. This disease-specific certification was first offered in 2003.
Certification signifies Gundersen Lutheran's stroke-related care and services meet the unique, specialized needs of stroke patients and entitles the organization to show JCAHO’s Gold Seal of Approval(tm) in ads and literature pertaining to stroke care. Compliance with national standards and performance measurement expectations also demonstrates the health system's commitment to controlling costs and improving productivity and outcomes.
"A late September survey affirmed the benefits of comprehensive stroke care that crosses department lines," said Gregory Fischer, MD, certified stroke neurologist and medical director of the Acute Stroke Team that led preparation for the JCAHO survey. "Whether you come to us with the first sign of a stroke or you need rehab to recover as much independence as you can, you've come to the right place."
Meet some of the card-carrying staff from the region’s Primary Stroke Center. Comprehensive stroke care at Gundersen Lutheran is provided by staff in the Neuroscience Center, Trauma & Emergency Center, Intensive Care Unit, 3 Center (designated stroke unit), Surgery, Vascular Institute, Inpatient Rehab, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Pathology, and other departments.
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"Coordination of the multifaceted care stroke patients need improves the quality of care we deliver, service to patients, and efficiency of those providing care. Designation as a Primary Stroke Center confirms our approach is the right one," Jonathan Zlabek, MD, FACP, director of Vascular Medicine, added.
"In addition to consistently following clinical practice guidelines and protocols, our staff is committed to continuing education for further improvements in stroke care," Fischer said. "More than 300 Gundersen Lutheran staff physicians, nurses, physical and occupational therapists and other healthcare professionals are individually certified in use of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale." This evaluation method is used when stroke symptoms are first detected, a critical period when brain-saving treatment or surgery could minimize disability or prevent death.
Michele Goodier, Neuroscience Center administrative director, recognized contributions by staff from Neuroscience Center departments (Neurology, Neurosurgery, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation), Trauma and Emergency Center, Intensive Care Unit, Imaging, Laboratory, General and Vascular Surgery, Vascular Institute, Inpatient Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, 3 Center (the hospital's designated stroke unit), and Quality and Performance Improvement.
 More than five years ago, long before JCAHO offered stroke-specific certification, an interdepartmental committee began work on standards of care, a care pathway and standardized admission practices for stroke patients. For the past two years, staff increased efforts to educate the public through free magnets imprinted with stroke symptoms, health fairs and free screenings.
JCAHO's Primary Stroke Center Certification program was developed in collaboration with the American Stroke Association and is based on the Brain Attack Coalition's recommendations. Stroke centers are listed online at jcaho.org. Since 1951, this independent, not-for-profit organization has been the nation's oldest and largest standard-setting and accrediting body in healthcare. The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through provision of healthcare accreditation and related services that support performance improvement. It evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. |