University of Virginia Health System

April 20, 2005
For immediate release
Contact: Bob Beard
(434) 982-4490
reb8e@virginia.edu

STROKE CARE PROGRAM AT U. VA. HEALTH SYSTEM AWARDED JOINT COMMISSION CERTIFICATION

The University of Virginia Health System  has been awarded Primary Stroke Center Certification for stroke care from The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) following an on-site review earlier this year.  U.Va. is one of only three medical centers in the Commonwealth to earn this distinction from the Joint Commission, which evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, non-profit organization, JCAHO is the nation's largest and oldest standard setting and accrediting body in health care.

“The University of Virginia has demonstrated that its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients,” said Charles A. Mowll, executive vice president at JCAHO.

“It is important for Virginians to know that they can receive the finest care available anywhere for stroke and we are proud to achieve this distinction,” said R. Edward Howell, vice president and chief executive officer of the U.Va. Medical Center. “Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center Certification recognizes U.Va.’s long commitment to providing outstanding care to our patients and our community.”

Each year, about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, making it the nation’s third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is also a leading cause of long-term disability in the U.S., with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today. In some hospitals, people with a stroke or stroke symptoms may be seen by a neurologist who treats a wide range of neurological conditions and diseases, including stroke. Stroke patients at U.Va. however, are seen by stroke specialists, including physicians, nurses and other clinicians.

Certification as a JCAHO Primary Stroke Center is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association’s statements and guidelines for stroke care. JCAHO launched the stroke certification program, the nation’s first, in 2003.

“We at U.Va. are pleased to be recognized by JCAHO as a primary stroke center,” said Dr. E. Clarke Haley, Jr., professor of neurology at the University of Virginia Health System. “U. Va. was involved in the original development of the clot-busting drug tPA and acute stroke teams, beginning over 15 years ago.  A collegial and smoothly functioning multidisciplinary team is at the heart of any successful program, and we are fortunate to have that in place.  We look forward to a successful application for regional stroke center status in 2006, when JCAHO starts certifying those.”

A list of JCAHO- certified programs is available at www.jcaho.org. Sentara Hospitals Norfolk and CJW Medical Center in Richmond have also been designated Primary Stroke Centers by JCAHO.

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