ENGLEWOOD and DENVER, Colo., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Swedish Medical Center (http://www.swedishhospital.com/) is the first in Colorado and the only hospital between Kansas and California to have earned national certification as a Stroke Center from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the leading and most trusted agency evaluating clinical care quality in all types of healthcare settings.
JCAHO visited Swedish in September 2004 to carefully review the hospital’s stroke program of care with regard to disease-specific standards including
* Clinical care * Performance measurements * Program management * Clinical information management * Support of patient education and self-management
JCAHO particularly noted Swedish’s expanding stroke awareness efforts within the community, extensive EMS instruction and outreach, and role as a consultant to rural communities for the management of acute stroke care. JCAHO also noted very positive feedback from patient interviews and impressive commitment from physicians and staff.
Swedish debuted its comprehensive system of stroke care in February 2004. As a JCAHO-certified Stroke Center, Swedish continues to demonstrate its safety and quality record for 1) compliance with consensus-based national standards; 2) management and optimization of patient care; and 3) an organized approach to measurement and improvement.
In addition to the requirements for certification, Swedish also offers advanced stroke care options like minimally invasive, interventional neuroradiology procedures available 24/7. Such treatments allow highly-trained neuroradiologists to treat acute strokes from within the brain’s blood vessels to directly target the source of the clot or hemorrhage and provide additional options to a patient who may otherwise suffer irreversible brain damage or death. Swedish’s other comprehensive services include inpatient rehabilitation; and stroke education, research, support groups and outpatient rehabilitation programs in partnership with the Colorado Neurological Institute.
“We are very proud to be one of only 39 hospitals in the United States to earn JCAHO-certification as a Stroke Center,” said Sandra Gonzales, director of the neurosciences program at Swedish. “Swedish has demonstrated better patient outcomes and a truly comprehensive system of care for stroke patients. Literally, we have earned JCAHO’s ‘gold seal of approval’ for stroke care.”
By developing its standards, the Joint Commission has publicly stated what is important in treating patients with chronic diseases. JCAHO’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program raises the bar for consistent, quality care nationwide and benefits patients by encouraging proven clinical practices and improved care through constant performance measurements.
Swedish Medical Center-HealthONE, a Level I Trauma Center, serves as the region’s referral center for neurotrauma and is the only comprehensive, nationally certified Stroke Center in Colorado. Swedish’s Centers of Excellence include: adult and pediatric trauma services, neurosciences, surgical services, advanced radiology capabilities, cancer treatment services, cardiology services and women’s & children’s services. An acute care hospital with 368 licensed beds, Swedish is located in the south Denver metro area in Englewood, Colo., where it has been a proud member of the community for nearly 100 years. Named one of the “100 Top Hospitals” in the nation by Solucient for the past two years, Swedish has also been awarded NRC’s “Consumer Choice” award five times and is a “Facility of Choice,” as named by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers.
More information regarding Swedish’s comprehensive Stroke Center can be found at http://www.swedishhospital.com/.
Swedish Medical Center
CONTACT: Kimberly Langston, Public Relations manager of Swedish MedicalCenter, +1-303-788-4630, Kimberly.Langston@HealthONECares.com