Menorah Medical Center — part of HCA Midwest Health, Kansas City's largest healthcare provider — has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Stroke Association's Heart-Check mark for Primary Stroke Certification. This is the eighth consecutive reaccreditation Menorah Medical Center has received from The Joint Commission for its award-winning Primary Stroke Center since 2008.
To achieve the reaccreditation as a Primary Stroke Center, Menorah Medical Center underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review earlier this year. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards including program management, supporting self-management, and delivering and facilitating clinical care. The Joint Commission develops standards in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
“Primary Stroke Center Certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” said Deborah Ryan, MS, RN, interim executive vice president, Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission. “We commend Menorah Medical Center for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for stroke patients.”
“We congratulate Menorah Medical Center for this outstanding achievement,” said Nancy Brown, CEO, the American Heart and Stroke Association. “This certification reflects its commitment to providing the highest quality of care for stroke patients.”
“The achievement of this Primary Stroke Center re-accreditation demonstrates our dedication to a higher standard of service using the latest stroke treatment techniques and technologies,” said Menorah Medical Center CEO Phil Buttell. “Our average door-to-CT time is 18 minutes, which is below the national standard of 20 minutes. Given the prevalence of stroke and heart disease today, our capacity to deliver timely access to lifesaving, comprehensive treatment to the communities we serve is even more essential.”
“The team of clinical experts and caregivers at Menorah Medical Center communicate and work effectively to help patients who have suffered a stroke,” said David Clark, MD, board certified neurologist.” We take pride in delivering the best in care and continually look at ways to improve our processes through organizations like The Joint Commission.”
The American Heart Association's benchmark for a patient coming through the hospital doors with acute ischemic stroke to receive the IV thrombolytic is under 60 minutes. The sooner the patient receives the medication, the sooner the stroke care team can restore blood flow to the brain, which is critical. Menorah Medical Center's average door-to-needle (or IV thrombolytic administration) is 34 minutes.
For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website. For more information, visit HCAMidwest.com.