The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association have awarded Columbus Regional Healthcare System (CRHS) Advanced Disease-Specific Care Certification as an Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital. The certification recognizes hospitals equipped to treat stroke patients with timely, evidence-based care prior to transferring them to a primary or comprehensive stroke center.
Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and someone dies of a stroke every four minutes.
"We are proud to have earned the Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital Certification," said Carla Hollis, CEO of CRHS. "This certification demonstrates our commitment to providing an exemplary standard of care to stroke patients, while also addressing the gap in access to acute stroke services. It's just the latest evidence that indicates the extraordinary level of care Columbus County residents can expect from us."
CRHS underwent a rigorous, on-site review on March 21 to assess its compliance with the Joint Commission's Advanced Disease-Specific Care certification requirements, including:
"Columbus Regional's Emergency Department staff is trained to quickly identify and treat patients who present with stroke-like symptoms and a 'last-known well' of three hours or fewer," said Sherry Shepard, MSN, RN, the hospital's director of emergency services.
Once a potential stroke patient is identified, a 'Code Stroke' is called over the PA system to mobilize multiple departments. Staffers in these departments get to work quickly to minimize any brain damage and achieve the best, possible outcome for the patient.
"Currently, nearly half the population in the United States lives 60 miles or more away from a primary or comprehensive stroke center," said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, of the American Stroke Association. "If patients who experience an acute ischemic stroke can get treated with clot-busting medications quickly, more lives would be saved and more patients would have improved outcomes."
Established in 2015, the Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital Certification is awarded for a two-year period to Joint Commission-accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals.
