Joint Commission awards Primary Stroke Certification for TMCA

The Medical Center of Aurora (TMCA) is proud to announce its designation as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission (TJC) effective October 1, 2009. The Disease Specific Certification has been awarded to only seven other hospitals in the state of Colorado.

To earn Primary Stroke Certification, a hospital must undergo a rigorous analysis, demonstrating compliance and excellence in three important areas of stroke care:

• Compliance with evidence-based national standards
• Effective use of clinical practice guidelines to both manage and optimize care
• Demonstrated measurement and improvement in the care provided to stroke patients.

TMCA was praised by the Joint Commission surveyor, who noted the commitment to excellence and hard work shown by the TMCA physicians and hospital staff.

The Medical Center of Aurora/Centennial Medical Plaza has seen a 24 percent increase in stroke patients since 2008. This highlights the importance of earning the Primary Stroke Certification, which effectively supports a critical community need. "Receiving this distinction conveys a message to our patient and provider community that the very highest of standards are met in our care of stroke patients," said Julie Taylor, Chief Operating Officer of TMCA/CMP.