Providence Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for its Primary Stroke Center’s Certification.
Providence recently underwent a rigorous, onsite review by a team of Joint Commission reviewers who evaluated compliance with related certification standards including program management, supporting self-management, and delivering and facilitating clinical care.
Achieving Primary Stroke Center (PSC) Certification is a collaborative designation between the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. According to the Joint Commission it means Providence is making exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes and is a signal of the quality of care the Medical Center provides to meet the unique and specialized needs of stroke patients.
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.
“Providence Medical Center’s certification of its Primary Stroke Center recognizes its’ commitment to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, accreditation and certification operations, and chief nursing executive for The Joint Commission. “We commend Providence Medical Center for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for stroke patients.”
Nancy Brown, CEO at the American Stroke Association, also extended her congratulations to Providence Medical Center for its “outstanding achievement,” adding that the re-certification reflects the hospital’s continued commitment to “providing the highest quality of care for stroke patients.”
Neurologist and Stroke Medical Director at Providence Medical Center, James Appelbaum, M.D., credits this award to a commitment to clinical excellence and the implementation of a broad range of hospital initiatives undertaken to reach the goal.
“From investments to processes to leadership commitment to technology, our ongoing commitment to outstanding care and overall safety, along with our dedicated hospital staff members, make this latest achievement possible,” Appelbaum says.
Eileen Derks-Wilson, MSN FNP SCRN, Trauma and Stroke Coordinator at Providence, adds that the hospital prepared for the re-certification process by attending to the daily protocols and procedures the stroke program has implemented.
“I’m proud to say that our stroke program has demonstrated excellence in consistently meeting National Inpatient Hospital Quality Measures,” she said. “Our team is dedicated every day to ensure our stroke patients receive our utmost attention to result in more positive outcomes—something we are all hoping for and working together to achieve.”
Notable awards received by Providence Medical Center include being named to the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list in 2020 and achieving the Healthgrades 2020 America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award™. Providence was also awarded an ‘A’ranking in its most recent Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing the hospital’s achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care. The hospital received the highest scores available in several categories, including effective leadership, staff coordination and nursing support.
For more information, visit The Joint Commission website or The Leapfrog Group.