Banner Boswell Medical Center certified as a Primary Stroke Center
SUN CITY, Ariz. (June 14, 2010) – Banner Boswell Medical Center has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers. The hospital was awarded this distinction after the Joint Commission conducted an on-site review in March. The designation makes Banner Boswell Medical Center the first nationally certified stroke center in the West Valley.
“We are extremely proud of this achievement,” said Dave Cheney, CEO, Banner Boswell Medical Center. “Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center Certification recognizes our commitment to providing outstanding care to our patients and our community.”
The Joint Commission's Certificate of Distinction for Primary Stroke Centers recognizes centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care. Achievement of certification signifies that the services a hospital provides have the critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes. It is the best signal to the community that the quality care a hospital provides is effectively managed to meet the unique and specialized needs of stroke patients.
“Banner Boswell Medical Center demonstrated that its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients,” said Jean E. Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission.
Banner Boswell has a long-standing commitment to providing excellence in stroke care to West Valley communities. In 2003, the hospital was designated a Primary Stroke Center by the American Stroke Association’s Operation Stroke Initiative and Arizona Emergency Medical System.
In 2009, Banner Boswell implemented a “Stroke Alert” response code to expedite the assessment and treatment of all patients exhibiting stroke symptoms. Rapid response is critically important for increasing a stroke patient’s chance of survival. A treatment called tPA is an option for some ischemic stroke patients that, in some cases, can reverse the damaging effects of a stroke if administered within three hours of the stroke’s onset. Banner Boswell was one of the first centers in Arizona to offer this advanced “clot-busting” drug.
Once stabilized, stroke patients are cared for by a team of neurologists and specially trained nurses in one of Banner Boswell’s dedicated stroke units. A multi-disciplinary team collaborates on individualized care plans for each patient, using evidence-based practices to provide for the highest quality of life for patients and their loved ones after a stroke occurs.
Each year, about 795,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation’s third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 4 minutes.
The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association’s statements/guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program—the nation’s first—in 2003. There are currently nine Joint Commission Primary Stroke Centers in Arizona, including ones at Banner Baywood Medical Center and Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center.
About the Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. In addition, the Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about the Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.
About Banner Boswell Medical Center
Banner Boswell Medical Center is a 430-bed, acute-care hospital located in Sun City, Ariz.. Founded in 1970, Banner Boswell offers heart services, cancer care, orthopedics, neurosciences, women’s diagnostics, emergency care, and medical and surgical services. Supporting Banner Boswell’s mission of excellent patient care is Sun Health Services, which encourages charitable giving to enhance health care delivery. Banner Boswell is part of nonprofit Banner Health, the leading provider of health services in the Valley with 23 hospitals throughout the West. For more information about Banner Boswell, visit www.BannerHealth.com/Boswell.
Contact:
Lisa Guinn
(623) 876-5704
