St. David's Medical Center First in Central Texas To Earn Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification

AUSTIN, Texas, April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In February 2013, St. David's Medical Center became the first hospital in Central Texas to earn Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification by DNV Healthcare, one of the leading accrediting agencies in the United States. Comprehensive Stroke Centers offer the most advanced stroke treatment available in a given geographic region.

"Our cerebrovascular team is proud to have earned this distinguished certification," Johanna Morton, M.D., vascular neurologist and stroke medical director at St. David's Medical Center, said. "St. David's Medical Center is truly dedicated to providing the highest level of care for the region's stroke patients. This hospital has met the nation's highest standards in stroke care, an accomplishment that is a genuine team effort."

Certification of comprehensive stroke care ensures that a hospital can provide services such as neurosurgery, neurocritical care and endovascular therapies for cerebrovascular diseases. The surveyors conducted a rigorous two-day survey, during which they reviewed the program's quality and care requirements. In some states, including Texas, the level of certification determines where EMS providers will transport patients for the most appropriate medical care within state health department guidelines.

DNV Healthcare is the only hospital accreditation program approved by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that integrates the ISO 9001 Quality Management System with the Medicare Conditions of Participation. DNV's National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (NIAHO) accreditation program requires hospitals to evaluate the continuum of patient care and take measured steps to improve, if warranted.

The DNV Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification incorporates elements from its NIAHO hospital accreditation standards, as well as requirements from the Guidelines of the Brain Attack Coalition and Recommendations of the American Stroke Association.

In order to earn and maintain a Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification, hospitals must participate in the Medicare program and be in compliance with the conditions of participation, which may be demonstrated by maintaining accreditation with DNV or another CMS-approved accreditation organization.

As part of the accreditation process, DNV surveyors will visit St. David's Medical Center annually to monitor the hospital's adherence to patient safety criteria established by CMS and to evaluate processes that impact patient care across various departments and facilities of the hospital.

DNV Healthcare Inc. is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a part of Det Norske Veritas, a global independent foundation dedicated to safeguarding life, property and the environment. For more information about DNV Healthcare and its NIAHO hospital accreditation program, visit DNVAccreditation.com.

St. David's Medical Center
St. David's Medical Center is part of St. David's HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas, which was recognized in January 2012 as one of the top 15 health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare. Founded in 1924, St. David's Medical Center is a full-service medical center offering comprehensive medical care at three locations—St. David's Medical Center, located at 919 East 32nd Street in Austin; Heart Hospital of Austin, located at 3801 North Lamar Blvd.; and St. David's Georgetown Hospital, located in Georgetown at 2000 Scenic Drive. The three campuses offer a full range of medical specialties, as well as many other innovative healthcare services.

St. David's Medical Center in central Austin includes a 350-bed acute care hospital and a 64-bed rehabilitation hospital providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. St. David's Medical Center is also home to NeuroTexas Institute and the internationally renowned Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute. The hospital provides a complete range of women's services, including its acclaimed maternity unit, maternal-fetal medicine, a high-risk maternal and neonatal transport team, the region's largest and most sophisticated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and The Breast Center; a fertility center; complex surgical services; a comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center; and a 24-hour emergency department.

St. David's Medical Center was named among the nation's 100 Top Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters) for four consecutive years, from 2010 to 2013. In October 2012, Truven Health Analytics also named St. David's Medical Center to the list of 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals. The hospital earned a national distinction for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits, in June 2012. For more information, please visit StDavids.com.

Media Contacts:
Erin Ochoa or Kristin Marcum
Elizabeth Christian & Associates Public Relations
512.472.9599

SOURCE St. David's Medical Center