By JOY LOHSE
Marketing and Public Relations Director, Kosciusko Community Hospital

Displaying the advanced certification for primary stroke center are Dr. Kevin McGeehan, neurologist; Kim Finch, chief nursing officer, Kosciusko Community Hospital; Cindy Price, manager, KCH Emergency Care; Lynne Eberle, director, KCH Emergency Care.

WARSAW — Kosciusko Community Hospital announced it has 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 Primary Stroke Centers.

The Gold Seal of Approval and the Heart-Check mark represent symbols of quality from their respective organizations. This advanced certification follows a recent recognition by The Joint Commission naming Kosciusko Community Hospital a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures. Additionally, Kosciusko Community Hospital is one of only 435 hospitals nationally to earn Top Performer recognition for the past three consecutive years. There are more than 3,300 Joint Commission-accredited hospitals.

KCH underwent a rigorous onsite review in October. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement.

“KCH is pleased to receive advanced certification from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,” said Kirk Ray, CEO, Kosciusko Community Hospital. “This achievement is an opportunity for us to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide as well as our commitment to continually strive to advance our level of care even further.”

“KCH has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of stroke patients through its Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers,” said Michele Sacco, M.S., interim executive director, Certification Programs. “We commend KCH for becoming a leader in stroke care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for stroke patients in its community.”

“We congratulate KCH for achieving this designation,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “By adhering to this very specific set of treatment guidelines, KCH has clearly made it a priority to deliver high quality care to all patients affected by 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.