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What’s a Primary Stroke Center?
The SHMC Stroke Center has earned the Gold Seal of Approval and Primary Stroke Center certification from the Joint Commission.
Standards of Care
As a primary stroke center, we follow a set of standards based on recommendations of the
Brain Attack
Coalition, a national group of medical, governmental, and professional associations dedicated to reducing the suffering caused by stroke.
The recommendations focus on 11 aspects of stroke care:
1. Acute stroke team:
includes a doctor experienced in diagnosing and treating cerebrovascular disease, along with other specialists, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to evaluate within 15 minutes any patient who may have suffered a stroke
2. Written care protocols: written procedures to help streamline and speed up the diagnosis of stroke and treatment of stroke patients
3. Emergency medical services: in-the-field diagnosis and treatment, and rapid transport of patients to the emergency department
4. Emergency department: ED staff trained in diagnosing stroke and treating patients with stroke; maintaining strong lines of communication with EMS and the stroke care team
5. Stroke care team: a unit of hospital-based specialists called together to provide monitoring and care of stroke patients
6. Neurosurgical services: a specialty that focuses on the surgery that treats diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system
7. Support of medical organization: the commitment of administration and professional and nonprofessional staff to provide high-quality care to stroke patients
8. Neuroimaging: imaging of the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system, with the capability of performing an imaging study within 25 minutes of the doctor's order, and evaluating the image by a doctor within 20 minutes of its completion
9. Laboratory services: around-the-clock standard laboratory services, including chest X-rays and measurements of heart activity, with results delivered rapidly and accurately
10. Quality improvement: includes written or electronic recordkeeping for tracking the number and types of stroke patients seen, their treatments, and some measurement of patient outcomes
11. Educational programs: continuing medical training for the professional staff of a primary stroke center, and at least two programs a year to educate the public about stroke prevention and the availability of emergency treatment
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