Mercy Stroke Center
Excellence in Stroke Care
Mercy General Hospital - along with sister CHW hospitals Mercy San Juan Medical Center and Woodland Healthcare - earned national recognition with a designation of primary stroke center from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), with recertification effective from December 2006-2008.
JCAHO congratulated Mercy General's stroke program for "efforts to provide high quality care for those you serve."
In 2005, Mercy General Hospital and Mercy San Juan Medical Center became two of the first hospitals in the state to earn the Gold Seal of Approval* for stroke care from JCAHO by demonstrating that their stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients.
Mercy's program is unique in that it offers patients an extensive continuum of care, from exceptional Emergency Department care to in-house acute rehabilitation. Mercy is at the cutting edge of stroke treatment, thanks to its clinical research program. Mercy's clinical research allows its patients to receive the most dynamic care from the most highly trained physicians and nurses.
"We're proud to achieve this distinction," says Mike Uboldi, CHW Service Area President. "It is a testament to Mercy's commitment to setting the community standard and meeting the national standards for stroke care."
Each year about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, making stroke 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.
The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association's statements/guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program - the nation's first - in 2003. A list of Joint Commission-certified programs is available at jcaho.org.
* Gold Seal of Approval is a registered trademark
