Saint Mary’s Awarded Advanced Certification as a Primary Stroke Center

Saint Mary's Stroke Team is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of providers. 

Saint Mary’s underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review in August 2024. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards including program management, supporting self-management, 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.

“Stroke Certification recognizes healthcare organizations committed to striving for excellence and fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Ken Grubbs, NDP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer, The Joint Commission. “We commend Saint Mary’s Hospital for using The Joint Commission certification process to reduce variation in clinical processes and to strengthen its clinical program to drive safer, higher quality and more compassionate care for individuals served.”

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.