Thursday, July 29, 2021
Westerly, RI (July 28, 2021) – Westerly has been re-certified by The Joint Commission for its Acute Stroke Ready Hospital program, a validation that patients presenting with stroke symptoms will be treated quickly and safely to prevent brain loss.
The Acute Stroke Ready Hospital (ASRH) certification was developed in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. These hospitals become part of a larger stroke system of care in which the hospital is equipped to evaluate, stabilize and provide emergency care to patients with acute stroke symptoms. Westerly was first certified in 2019 after implementing Yale New Haven Health’s Telestroke program which provides 24/7 communication with stroke-trained neurologists.
Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of adult disability, reports the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, which estimates that someone dies of a stroke every four minutes. A stroke occurs when a clot or a rupture prevents blood flow to the brain.
As part of the recent recertification process Westerly Hospital underwent a rigorous onsite review in May by Joint Commission experts in stroke. During the visit, The Joint Commission reviewer evaluated compliance with related certification standards including program management, supporting self-management and delivering and facilitating clinical care. The Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
“This recertification reflects our commitment to provide the greatest of care to our patients,” said Patrick Green, president and CEO, Westerly Hospital. “Being a member of the Yale New Haven Health Stroke Network our Stroke team has adopted a comprehensive set of standardized performance measures that leads to better outcomes for our patients. Being able to offer this level of care in Westerly further demonstrates that delivering high-quality health care to our patients is our number one priority.”
Collaboration with EMS, a Telestroke neurologist, ED providers, Radiology, Lab and Pharmacy results in timely coordination of care for the stroke patient upon arrival. In addition, engagement and sharing of best practices allows the hospital to continually improve its stroke care program to meet the needs of a continually changing health care environment.
“Acute Stroke Ready Hospital Certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Westerly Hospital for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for stroke patients.”
“We congratulate Westerly Hospital for this outstanding achievement,” says Nancy Brown, chief executive officer, the American Stroke Association. “This certification reflects its commitment to providing the highest quality of care for stroke patients.”
Westerly Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a 125-bed hospital that has been providing residents of southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut with a full range of inpatient and outpatient services in a community hospital setting for more than 90 years. Westerly Hospital patients receive the finest quality treatment in the following areas of care: emergency, medical, surgical, radiology, laboratory and rehabilitative services. The hospital also offers heart and vascular care, interventional pain management, wound care, pulmonary rehabilitation services, inpatient geriatric psychiatric care and comprehensive cancer care provided through the Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center. All inpatient rooms are private. westerlyhospital.org
