Seton Medical Center Stroke Care Program Awarded Joint Commission Certification. Seton Medical Center has earned the Gold Seal of ApprovalTM from the Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers after a site review of the hospital’s facilities and stroke treatment and follow up care programs. The Primary Stroke Center at Seton Medical Center conforms to the highest national standards and guidelines as proposed by the American Stroke Association and the Brain Attack Coalition that have been shown to improve outcomes for stroke patients.
“We are pleased to be recognized by the Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers for adopting best practices and providing our team of specialists with tools and resources that improve the quality of care and long-term outcomes of our stroke patients,” said Bernadette M. Smith, President & CEO of Seton Medical Center/Seton Coastside. “This recognition is a testament to the pioneering history of this institution towards the expansion of cardiovascular care over the past two decades and the team-work and quality patient care provided by our physicians and associates.”
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 every 45 seconds 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.
According to Dr. Edgardo Alicaway, Stroke Program Medical Director, at Seton Medical Center, “We anticipate providing the range of primary stroke treatment and follow up care for 300 area residents each year. This number will increase over time as more and more people learn to recognize stroke symptoms at their onset and get to the Emergency Department as quickly as possible.”
The most effective treatment for stoke victims is to convey them to a Primary Stoke Center quickly where they can receive rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment. One of the most effective treatments is administering tissue-type plasminogen (t-PA), an exceptionally effective blood clot dissolving medication, within three hours of a stroke onset. The Primary Stroke Center will implement the protocols recommended by the Brain Attack Coalition, National Institute of Health and guidelines from the American Stroke Association to insure rapid diagnosis and treatment.
In addition to providing acute care for stroke patients, Seton Medical Center is eminently qualified to provide follow up and secondary care to stroke victims through its existing medical, therapeutic, and support services The Stroke Program will operate under the auspices of the nationally renowned San Francisco Heart and Vascular Institute located at Seton Medical Center. Possessing an Emergency Room, Imaging and Interventional Radiology Department, Laboratory, Pharmacy, Neuro Surgery, Intensive Care Unit and rehabilitation programs, Seton Medical Center has in place all the component departments necessary to provide the highest level of stroke treatment and care. The Stroke Program has put in place procedures that include intense training and education for Emergency Room physicians, neurologist, nurses, x-ray technicians, laboratory technicians, and support staff. A community education effort and outreach about stroke risk is will be implemented to educate the public about how to effectively recognize and react to a stroke onset.