Stroger Hospital designated as Advanced Primary Stroke Center

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John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital has joined the ranks of Rush University Medical Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the University of Chicago Medical Center in being recognized as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. The designation, which is bestowed on hospitals nationwide by The Joint Commission, means that the County facility has been recognized as providing exceptional efforts to treat stroke patients. There are only about 50 recognized Primary Stroke Centers in Illinois.

This is a great honor for our healthcare System, said Cook County Health and Hospitals System CEO William Foley. This was a tremendous effort by our staff to make sure that our patients care always comes first.Its another example of the healthcare Systems commitment

to providing, quality healthcare for our patients, he added.

The Joint Commission said such certification is awarded to centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care. The certification is valid for up to 24 months. The most important thing is our ability to diagnosis and treat stroke victims in a matter of minutes, said Mary Wisniewski, Assistant Director, Stroger Hospital Department of Quality and Regulatory Affairs. Second, is communicating to every single person(patients, family, & staff ) that stroke is treatable and seeking emergency medical care ASAP is key to a complete recovery, she added in a released statement.

The Advanced Primary Stroke Center helps patients by bringing together specialists in neurology, emergency medicine, stroke evaluation, treatment, care, prevention, and education.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. More than 143,579 people die each year from strokes nationwide, Wisniewski said. And the patient population we serve is at a higher risk for suffering a stroke. In Illinois, more than 6,800 people die from stroke annually. Stroger Hospital treated 412 patients for stroke and 150 patients for pre-stroke last year.

Since Jan. 1, 2010, the Joint Commission has required Primary Certified StrokeCenters to collect and report on eight quality measures for stroke. These measuresare based on established stroke guidelines intended to produce optimal patient outcomes.

The measures help put strong clinical evidence into practice. Examples include treating appropriate patients with clot-busting drugs within three hours of the onset of stroke; discharging patients with blood thinners; monitoring patients for irregular heart rhythms that can trigger strokes; prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs when appropriate; educating patients and their families about stroke and reducing risk factors and providing.

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