CONCORD TOWNSHIP, Ohio, November 4, 2009 - Lake Health's TriPoint Medical Center and West Medical Center have earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ from the Joint Commission for Advanced Disease-Specific Certification as Primary Stroke Centers. Lake Health earned this distinction after the Joint Commission conducted an on-site review of each of the hospital’s acute stroke programs in August 2009.

With both of Lake Health’s acute care hospitals earning this achievement, residents in Lake and neighboring counties now have access to consistent, high-quality stroke care nearby.

"Lake Health demonstrated that its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients," said Jean Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission.

Each year about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation’s third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke ever 45 second and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.

"We're proud to achieve the distinction," said Cynthia Moore-Hardy, FACHE, president and CEO of Lake Health. "Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center Certification recognizes Lake Health's commitment to providing outstanding care to our patients and our community. A patient anywhere in our area with stroke signs and symptoms can be assessed and treated efficiently and effectively at any Lake Health hospital—with the same proven, evidence-based medical practices in stroke care."

In addition to this certification, Moore-Hardy said that Lake Health’s stroke program has been recognized by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading provider of independent hospital ratings. For the past five years, the health system has been five-star rated for the treatment of stroke. 

The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association’s statements/guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program—the nation’s first—in 2003. A list of programs certified by the Joint Commission is available at www.jointcommission.org.

Lake Health’s team of physicians and stroke specialists are dedicated to ensuring that the amount of time that passes between stroke and treatment is minimal. Our goal is to diagnose and treat a person showing symptoms of stroke within an hour to two hours of arrival at a Lake Health hospital.

"The goal of Lake Health's Primary Stroke Center is to lessen and prevent further brain damage by providing acute intervention with the most advanced medical therapies and pharmaceutical treatments," said Mark Rorick, MD, neurologist and director of the Lake Health Primary Stroke Center. "Each member of our team is highly trained and performs a critical function, resulting in faster treatment times and, ultimately, better outcomes and shorter hospital stays for our patients."

In addition to direct medical care, Lake Health is also committed to providing programs designed to educate the public about stroke symptoms and treatments. For more information, please visit lakehealth.org for valuable resources.

About The Joint Commission

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. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more then 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. In addition, the Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about the Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.