INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center announces that it has received certification from DNV GL – Healthcare as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, affirming the hospital’s readiness to handle a full range of stroke-related medical problems.
The hospital was already certified as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission; however, this new certification is a more comprehensive designation that took over two years to achieve.
“Stroke care requires the best clinicians and resources as well as the ability to act organizationally with extreme efficiency because of the time-critical nature of these events,” notes Ashish Masih, M.D., medical director, Neurosciences. “Our accomplishment of becoming a comprehensive stroke center marks the significant commitment from our stroke team and INTEGRIS leadership to ensuring patient health and safety.”
Certification as a comprehensive stroke center helps determine the facility to which a patient should be taken to receive the most appropriate stroke care. The DNV GL – Healthcare Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification is based on standards set forth by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association and affirms that the medical center addresses the full spectrum of stroke care – diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and education.
“This designation reminds our patients we offer one of the region’s largest and best- equipped hospitals to treat any kind of stroke or stroke complication,” says Briton Stoll, director, Metro Neurosciences. “It helps demonstrate to our community we perform at the highest stroke care level.”
According to the National Stroke Association, stroke is a leading cause of death, killing nearly 130,000 people each year, and is a leading cause of serious, long-term adult disability. Because stroke or “brain attack” effects blood flow to the brain, rapid and effective treatment can save lives and provide the best chance of limiting the extent of long-term damage.
