Mercy Health - St Vincent Medical Center Comprehensive Stroke Center Recertification

Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center has once again earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers. The Gold Seal of Approval® and the Heart-Check mark represent symbols of quality from their respective organizations.

With this certification, Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center remains among an elite group of health care organizations focused on highly-specialized stroke care. St. Vincent was first named a Comprehensive Stroke Center in 2016.

To be eligible for this certification, hospitals must demonstrate compliance with stroke-related standards as a Primary Stroke Center and meet additional requirements, including those related to advanced imaging capabilities, 24/7 availability of specialized treatments, and providing staff with the unique education and competencies to care for complex stroke patients.

Mercy Health - St. Vincent Medical Center underwent a rigorous onsite review in in September, 2018 when Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements.

Mercy Health – St. Charles Hospital also recently underwent an onsite review and was recertified as a Primary Stroke Center. During this visit, Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement.

Mercy Health – St. Charles Hospital was first awarded Primary Stroke Certification in 2015

“Mercy Health is pleased to receive these certifications from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,” said Bob Baxter, president, Mercy Health -Toledo. “The certifications provide us with the framework to create a culture of excellence at both St. Vincent as a comprehensive stroke center and St. Charles as a primary care stroke center.”

By achieving these certifications, Mercy Health has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of its patients with a complex stroke condition.

“Certification is a voluntary process and The Joint Commission commends Mercy Health for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate the standard of its care for the community it serves,” said Mark R. Chassin, MD, FACP, M.P.P., M.P.H., president and CEO, The Joint Commission.

Established in 2012, Advanced Certification for Comprehensive 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 Comprehensive Stroke Centers” (Stroke, 2005), “Metrics for Measuring Quality of Care in Comprehensive Stroke Centers” (Stroke, 2011) and recommendations from a multidisciplinary advisory panel of experts in complex stroke care.

Stroke is the number five 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.