Kaiser Permanente’s Vacaville Medical Center Named Primary Stroke Center

Kaiser Permanente’s Vacaville Medical Center has been certified as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, a designation that confirms that the hospital follows a nationally recognized regimen of best practices in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke.

Kaiser Permanente’s Vacaville Medical Center joins Kaiser Permanente’s Vallejo Medical Center and Sutter Solano Medical Center as the only Joint Commission certified Stroke Centers in Solano County.

“This designation is a recognition that we provide our patients with high-quality care and treatment that is personalized, coordinated and comprehensive,” said Dr. Deven Mistry, stroke medical director for Kaiser Permanente in Vacaville.

To be certified by The Joint Commission, programs must:

• Use a standardized method of delivering care

• Support patient self-management activities

• Tailor treatment and intervention to individual needs

• Promote the flow of patient information across settings and providers, while protecting patient rights, security and privacy

• Analyze and use standardized performance measure data to continually improve treatment plans.

Kaiser Permanente Vacaville’s Medical Center has a stroke committee comprised of Emergency Department physicians, hospitalists, neurologists, speech and physical therapists, nurses, and representatives from pharmacy and radiology, all dedicated to providing the best outcomes to stroke patients.

Additionally, the hospital has implemented “stroke alerts” to notify key patient-care staff when there is a suspected acute stroke case. These stroke patients are then given priority access to CT scanners and the lab to help expedite their care.

“With this designation of our Vacaville Medical Center, all 21 Kaiser Permanente medical centers in Northern California are Certified Primary Stroke Centers,” said Max Villalobos, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente in the Napa-Solano Area. “Our integrated model of care enables us to share best practices across the region and continuously enhance patient care and service. This designation is also an appropriate enhancement to our trauma center at the Vacaville Medical Center and our commitment to providing the best health care and service to the entire community.”

Kaiser Permanente is also committed to stroke prevention. Over the past decade, Kaiser Permanente has implemented programs both to prevent stroke and improve outcomes for patients who already have suffered one.

Such efforts resulted in a 26 percent reduction in deaths from stroke among Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California between 2008 and 2011, and a 42 percent reduction between 2001 and 2010.

Kaiser Permanente’s Vacaville Medical Center applied for Primary Stroke Center certification earlier this year. An on-site review May 31 by The Joint Commission was the final step of the process before the official designation.