Christ Medical Center Awarded Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification

Submitted by Advocate Christ Medical Center.

Advocate Christ Medical Center has earned Comprehensive Stroke Center certification from DNV (Det Norske Veritas) Healthcare, Inc., a hospital accreditation organization with some of the most rigorous standards in health care.

For the past 10 years, Christ Medical Center has been designated as a Primary Stroke Center, previously the pinnacle certification. A Comprehensive Stroke Center certification is now the highest level awarded.

By achieving this advanced certification, Christ Medical Center meets DNV’s standards to treat the most complex stroke cases. Comprehensive stroke centers, like Christ Medical Center, bring together leading experts who represent a variety of disciplines and collaborate using the latest clinical advances and technologies.

“Comprehensive Stroke Center-certified hospitals have better outcomes than non-certified hospitals,” said neurologist, Franco Campanella, DO, medical director of the stroke center at Christ Medical Center. “What sets a comprehensive stroke center apart is the ability to provide care for the most complex strokes around the clock 365 days a year.”

More than 900 new stroke patients receive treatment at Christ Medical Center each year, making it one of the busiest stroke centers in the Chicagoland area. As a result of this high volume, the multidisciplinary stroke team has gained the expertise to treat all types of stroke cases. This certification adds depth to the Christ Medical Center neuroscience program, which includes an integrated team of specialists in the fields of neurology, neurosurgery, neuro-interventional treatment, radiology, nursing, rehabilitation, emergency medicine, social work, pharmacy and nutrition.

“Accreditation and certification in health care provide much more than recognition,” says Yehuda Dror, president of DNV Healthcare. “These programs help establish standards of excellence and best practices that directly impact patients’ lives. Comprehensive Stroke Center is the highest level that can be achieved by a stroke-care program, and we are pleased to be working with the leading organizations to bring forward this new certification. This certification is available to all qualifying hospitals, regardless of who their accrediting organization is.”

In a growing number of states, stroke center certifications determine to which facility a patient should be taken for the most appropriate level of care using stroke-specific, EMS (emergency management system) protocols. In Illinois, EMS teams may soon be required to transport patients to the most appropriate certified stroke center to help ensure the best possible outcome for the patient.

Warning Signs of a Stroke

The stroke care team at Advocate Christ Medical Center wants you to know the warning signs of stroke and the actions you should take in the event of a stroke.

• F=Face - ask the person to smile. If one side of the face appears crooked or drooping, this person may be having a stroke.
• A=Arms - ask the person to lift both of his or her arms in the air. If he or she has difficulty raising one arm, this too might be a sign that the person is having a stroke.
• S=Speech - ask the person to speak. If his or her words are slurred or is unable to speak, the person might be having a stroke.
• T=T is for time. If any of the above symptoms are present, you must call 911 immediately in order to make sure that this person reaches the hospital FAST.