Kent Hospital announced that 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. “Obtaining this advanced certification is a great achievement for the Stroke Center at Kent Hospital and reiterates the top quality, aggressive stroke care we provide to our patients,” said Michael Dacey, MD, president and COO, Kent Hospital, “We are continually focused on providing timely care to those who have suffered a stroke, with the best possible outcomes.”
Kent Hospital underwent a rigorous onsite review in November 2016. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement. This is the fifth consecutive time Kent Hospital has received such designation since the first certification in 2008.
“Kent Hospital is thoroughly committed to providing our patients the highest quality stroke care to ensure continued improvement in treatment,” said Arshad Iqbal, MD, chief of neurology and director of the Stroke Center at Kent Hospital. “The Primary Stroke Center Certification has given us the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide for our patients and help us improve care overall for our community.”
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” and the “Revised and Updated Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers.”
“Kent Hospital has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of stroke patients through its Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers,” said Patrick Phelan, interim executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “We congratulate Kent Hospital 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 Kent Hospital has clearly made it a priority to deliver high quality care to all patients affected by stroke.” 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.
The Stroke Center at Kent offers a multidisciplinary team that is available 24/7 from the moment of the patient’s arrival in the Kent Emergency Department through diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care. Kent Hospital’s 20-bed Inpatient Rehabilitation program provides 24/7 nursing supervision, daily physician visits and three hours of therapy a day to recovering stroke patients.
Kent Hospital, a Care New England Hospital, is a 359-bed, acute care hospital. It is Rhode Island’s second largest hospital, serving approximately 300,000 residents of central Rhode Island.
A teaching affiliate of The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kent offers programs in Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and an Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Fellowship. Kent’s redesigned Emergency Department (ED) sees approximately 70,000 patients a year and ranks Kent’s ED volume among the top 10-percent nationally. It was the first hospital in the state to eliminate the practice of ambulance diversion.