Albany Med Again Receives Stroke Center Certification from JCAHO
ALBANY, N.Y., November 25, 2008 – Albany Medical Center has once again been awarded the Primary Stroke Center Certification from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO), and has earned the organization’s Gold Seal of Approval for being a JCAHO accredited institution with an advanced certification in stroke care. The Medical Center is one of only 13 health care institutions in New York State to hold this distinction.
“With this certification, the Joint Commission has reconfirmed that Albany Med’s multi-disciplinary team approach to stroke care leads to better outcomes for our patients,” said Gary L. Bernardini, M.D., Ph.D., director of stroke and neurocritical care and professor in neurology and neurosurgery at Albany Med. “I am honored to work with the physicians and staff at Albany Med who work diligently to uphold the standard of care our patients expect and deserve.”
The Joint Commission’s Certificate of Distinction for Primary Stroke Centers recognizes centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care. Achievement of certification signifies that the services provided by the health care institution have critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes. According to Joint Commission officials, “It is the best signal to your community that the quality care you provide is effectively managed to meet the unique and specialized needs of stroke patients.”
The Acute Stroke Team at Albany Medical Center is comprised of a multidisciplinary group that includes stroke neurologists, neuroendovascular interventionalists, neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons, vascular surgeons, nurse practitioners, nurses, rehabilitation specialists, neurology and neurosurgery residents. The stroke team is available to respond for evaluation and treatment of stroke patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the emergency department and within the hospital’s fully monitored designated Lally Neurological Observation/Stroke Unit. The program treats more than 500 stroke patients per year.
The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, not-for-profit organization, JCAHO is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.
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Albany Medical Center is northeastern New York’s only academic health sciences center. It consists of Albany Medical College, Albany Medical Center Hospital and the Albany Medical Center Foundation, Inc. Additional information about Albany Medical Center can be found at www.amc.edu.
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Kristen Cook
