With this certification, MemorialCare Neuroscience Institute at Long Beach Memorial joins an elite group of health care organizations focused on highly-specialized stroke care. To be eligible, hospitals must demonstrate compliance with stroke-related standards as a Primary Stroke Center and meet additional requirements, including those related to advanced imaging capabilities, 24/7 availability of specialized treatments and providing staff with the unique education and competencies to care for complex stroke patients.
MemorialCare Neuroscience Institute at Long Beach Memorial underwent a rigorous on-site review in Nov. 2016, when Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements.
"By achieving this advanced certification, MemorialCare Neuroscience Institute at Long Beach Memorial has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of its patients with a complex stroke condition," says Mark R. Chassin, M.D., FACP, M.P.P., M.P.H., president and CEO, The Joint Commission. "Certification is a voluntary process and The Joint Commission commends MemorialCare Neuroscience Institute at Long Beach Memorial for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate the standard of its care for the community it serves."
"The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association congratulates MemorialCare Neuroscience Institute at Long Beach Memorial on achieving Comprehensive Stroke Center certification," said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. "Meeting the standards for Comprehensive Stroke Center certification represents a commitment to deliver high quality care to all patients affected by stroke."
"MemorialCare Neuroscience Institute at Long Beach Memorial is pleased to receive advanced certification from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association," said Angela West, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, SCRN, ANVP, Stroke Program Director, MemorialCare Neuroscience Institute, Long Beach Memorial. "The certification provides us with the framework to create a culture of excellence."
Established in 2012, Advanced Certification for Comprehensive 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 Comprehensive Stroke Centers" (Stroke, 2005), "Metrics for Measuring Quality of Care in Comprehensive Stroke Centers" (Stroke, 2011) and recommendations from a multidisciplinary advisory panel of experts in complex stroke care.
Stroke is the number five 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.
About Long Beach Memorial
Named among the top 12 hospitals in the Los Angeles Metro area by U.S. News and World Report, Long Beach Memorial has been providing compassionate care with the latest state-of-the-art technology for more than 100 years. Long Beach Memorial is the region's first choice for comprehensive care in virtually every medical and surgical specialty.
Long Beach Memorial is at the forefront of patient care with the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute's 64,000 sq. ft. Todd Cancer Pavilion, which houses all outpatient cancer services under one roof. Also, the MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute recently opened a Hybrid Imaging Suite, which features advanced imaging technology, combining the diagnostics and capabilities of a catheterization laboratory with the surgical functions of an operating room.
Additional Centers of Excellence include the MemorialCare Rehabilitation Institute, MemorialCare Orthopedic Institute, MemorialCare Neuroscience Institute, Stroke Program, MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center, Emergency Department and Regional Trauma Center.
The Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit 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 www.jointcommission.org.
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association are devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America's No. 1 and No. 5 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based American Heart Association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The American Stroke Association is a division of the American Heart Association. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
The familiar Heart-Check mark now helps consumers evaluate their choices in hospital care. Each mark given to a hospital is earned by meeting specific standards for the care of patients with heart disease and/or stroke. The Heart-Check mark can only be displayed by hospitals that have achieved and defined requirements set by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. For more information on the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Hospital Accreditation Program visit www.heart.org/myhospital.
SOURCE MemorialCare Neuroscience Institute
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