Saint Marys Hospital Receives Joint Commission Re-Certification as Advanced Primary Stroke Center

WATERBURY, Conn. -- As the nation marks World Stroke Day on Saturday, October 29, Saint Mary’s Hospital is pleased to announce it has once again earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Primary Stroke Certification.

“We congratulate Saint Mary’s Hospital for this outstanding achievement,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer, of the American Stroke Association. “This certification reflects its commitment to providing the highest quality of care for stroke patients.”

In order to receive the certification, Saint Mary’s underwent a rigorous review in March 2022. During the visit, a Joint Commission reviewer 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.

“Saint Mary’s Hospital is pleased to once again receive advanced certification from The Joint Commission and the American Stroke Association,” said Dr. Katherine Kedzierski, Stroke Program Medical Director at Saint Mary’s Hospital. “The certification provides us with the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide as well as to continually strive to advance our care even further.”

Advanced Primary Stroke Certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care. Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission said “We commend Saint Mary’s Hospital for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for stroke patients.”

Deborah Cram, RN MSN, ACM Saint Mary’s Hospital Stroke Coordinator said, “This re-certification is a concrete demonstration of Saint Mary’s ongoing commitment to providing exceptional care in the identification, management and prevention of stroke.”

Established in 2003, Advanced Certification for Primary 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 the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers” (JAMA, 2000) and the “Revised and Updated Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers” (Stroke, 2011).

Stroke is the number four 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.

For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website and TrinityHealthOfNE.org.