For Immediate Release January 8, 2010

Contact: Brian Reardon (217) 544-6464, ext. 44306 brian.reardon@st-johns.org

ST. JOHN’S HOSPITAL DESIGNATED AGAIN AS AN
ADVANCED PRIMARY STROKE CENTER

SPRINGFIELD – St. John’s Hospital has once again been certified as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.  The certification recognizes hospitals that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care.  Advanced Primary Stroke Centers adhere to national stroke guidelines, continually assess and improve how care is delivered, and tailor their stroke treatment to individual needs.

"This certification highlights our ongoing commitment to continually improve the care we provide for our patients.  We recognize that by implementing best practices and offering specialized medical care to our stroke patients, we can achieve better outcomes and a better quality of life for our patients,” said Dr. Michelle Alepra, Emergency Medicine at St. John’s Hospital.
To be designated as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center, a hospital’s stroke program undergoes an extensive, on-site evaluation by The Joint Commission every two years.  St. John’s first received the designation January, 2008.  The program is evaluated using Joint Commission standards through an assessment of a program's processes, the program's ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, and interviews with patients and staff.

St. John's Hospital Stroke Treatment program offers:

• Expert Emergency Department staff trained in managing and treating stroke. If stroke is confirmed, the patient is evaluated to see if they are a candidate for the only FDA-approved drug t-PA for acute stroke.   t-PA (tissue plasminogen activator) is a  clot-busting drug that can significantly reduce long-term disability if given within the first three hours after ischemic stroke occurs.  Stroke patients that have met the criteria to receive t-PA are given it at St. John's Hospital.
• A 64-slice CT scanner located within the Emergency Department that allows for rapid detection of stroke. 
• A dedicated Radiology Department that offers expert interpretation of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography angiography (CTA), and CT scans; as well as an integrated, high-speed, on-line radiology service that features a voice recognition dictation system.     
• Multidisciplinary team of physicians consisting of neurologists, neurosurgeons, vascular surgeons, and cardiologists.
• Inpatient care that provides a healing environment that recognizes the important role family members play in a patient’s recovery.
• Rehabilitation therapists-occupational, speech and physical therapists- that are dedicated to getting patients functioning to their fullest potential.
• Physicians, nursing staff and other dedicated and valuable staff members provide a wide variety of services and expertise to help our patients recover to their fullest potential as quickly as possible.

he Joint Commission launched its Disease-Specific Care Certification program in 2002. It is the first program of its kind in the country to certify disease management programs. A list of programs certified by The Joint Commission is available at http://www.jointcommission.org

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations.