Loyola University Hospital awarded Joint Commission's certification as Advanced Primary Stroke Center

The Joint Commission has recertified Loyola University Hospital as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center.

The Joint Commission said such certification is awarded to centers "that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care."

Illinois is among a growing number of states that require or recognize The Joint Commission's certification for designation as a Primary Stroke Center. Loyola was first certified in 2006, and recertified in 2008 and 2010.

"The Joint Commission's accreditation is a recognition of the comprehensive, holistic and multidisciplinary stroke care that we provide to patients and their families 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said Dr. José Biller, chairman of the Department of Neurology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 17,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States.

Since Jan. 1, 2010, the Joint Commission has required Primary Certified Stroke Centers to collect and report on eight quality measures for stroke. These measures are based on established stroke guidelines intended to produce optimal patient outcomes. The measures help put strong clinical evidence into practice. Examples include treating appropriate patients with clot-busing drugs within three hours of the onset of stroke; discharging patients with blood thinners; monitoring patients for irregular heart rhythms that can trigger strokes; prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs when appropriate; educating patients and their families about stroke and reducing risk factors and providing for patients' rehabilitation needs.

Loyola provides evidence-based specialized stroke care from a multidisciplinary team of stroke experts. Loyola has won the Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award for stroke care from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.