Alameda Hospital Receives Primary Stroke Center Certification

ALAMEDA, Calif., October 3, 2011 – Alameda Hospital has received certification as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, a national organization that investigates and certifies hospitals across the country in numerous areas of care.  Following a rigorous on-site review on September 30, 2011, Alameda Hospital has been recognized for its efforts to provide exceptional stroke care.

“We’re proud to achieve this distinction from the Joint Commission,” says Deborah Stebbins, CEO.  “What this means for the Alameda community is that they will receive the best care possible at Alameda Hospital in the event they experience stroke symptoms. We are pleased to be recognized for our commitment to providing exceptional care to our patients and our community.”

“In stroke care, time is brain,” says Claudine Dutaret, M.D., neurologist and Medical Director of the Stroke Center.  “This certification distinguishes Alameda Hospital as a leader in providing superior care that meets or exceeds best practices for improving the quality of life for our patients. We are extremely proud of this achievement as it demonstrates that our stroke program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve the health of our stroke patients.”

 “The Stroke Team at Alameda Hospital developed and reviewed systems, protocols, policies, procedures and guidelines to ensure that our stroke program provided the most efficient, standardized and evidence-based assessments and treatments,” states Stroke Center Coordinator, Michaele Baxter, R.N.. It is a “meticulous, step-by-step review and analysis of our comprehensive stroke program,” Baxter said. A multi-disciplinary Stroke Team of about 20 members including physicians, nurses, and department managers spent countless hours evaluating and optimizing the stroke treatment program at Alameda Hospital.

The Stroke Program at Alameda Hospital has elevated the care of acute stroke patients to “another level,” said Eric Otani, MD, Medical Director of the Emergency Care Center.  “We have a long history of providing excellent stroke care,” he said. “This formalized program provides a mechanism to measure and further improve our system. It has allowed us to standardize the evaluation and treatment in the inpatient and outpatient settings.”

For stroke certification designation, Alameda Hospital was required to meet stringent Joint Commission criteria based on recommendations by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association’s statements and guidelines for stroke care.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. It is the third leading cause of death and the number one cause of adult disability in the U.S. A stroke is also known as a “brain attack” and can damage the brain as a heart attack can damage the heart. Strokes can often times affect speech, movement and memory because the cells die in the part of the brain that controls these abilities.