[Wayne, NE]- Providence Medical Center has been designated as an Acute Stroke Ready hospital by The Joint Commission and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the hospital announced today.
Acute Stroke-Ready hospitals are the first stop for patients suspected of having a stroke. Providence Medical Center is the only critical access hospital in Nebraska with this designation.
As part of the journey, Providence Medical Center underwent a rigorous, onsite review in November. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards, including program management, supporting self-management, and delivering and facilitating clinical care. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
“The Providence Medical Center Emergency Department is pleased to continue providing leading edge stroke care to our community with the designation of our ED as an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital,” Providence Medical Center Medical Staff Chief of Staff Ian Engebretsen, MD, said.
Rapid assessment is key when a stroke is suspected. The benchmark for an Acute Stroke Ready hospital is 45 minutes from the time a patient walks in the emergency department door to having their CT scan ordered, performed and back to the emergency department provider for evaluation.
If it is determined that the patient is a candidate for tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a clot-busting medication used to treat strokes in the early stages, it can be administered quickly thereafter.
“The collaborative efforts and process improvements in the detection, assessment and treatment of our stroke patients will ensure our emergency department maintains this designation for years to come,” Dr. Engebretsen said.
Providence Medical Center CEO Danielle Gearhart said the designation “allows us to further demonstrate our commitment to health equity and assuring that every member of our communities has access to quality care.”