Memorial Healthcare Achieves National Acute Stroke Ready Hospital Certification

OWOSSO, MICHIGAN, February 12, 2021 – Memorial Healthcare continues to enhance its quality of care for patients, with the healthcare provider recently awarded The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Acute Stroke Ready Hospital Certification, recognizing the hospital for its ability to support better outcomes for stroke care.

A voluntary endeavor, Memorial Healthcare has spent the last two years addressing its entire continuum of care for stroke patients—including important areas such as dispatch, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), emergency department, radiology staff, laboratory, inpatients units and rehabilitation specialists—in preparation for the rigorous review by The Joint Commission. The certification process included a thorough evaluation of Memorial Healthcare’s ability to access, diagnose and treat patients presenting with stroke symptoms. The eligibility standards for the certification include:

  • A dedicated stroke-focused program
  • Staffing by qualified medical professionals trained in stroke care
  • A relationship with local emergency medical services that encourages training in field assessment tools and communication with the hospital prior to bringing a patient with a stroke to the emergency department
  • Access to stroke expertise 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (in person or via telemedicine) and transfer agreements with facilities that provide primary or comprehensive stroke services.
  • 24/7 ability to perform rapid diagnostic imaging and laboratory testing to facilitate the administration for IV thrombolytics in eligible patients
  • Streamlined flow of patient information while protecting patient rights, security and privacy
  • Use of data to assess and continually improve quality of care for stroke patients

“Our entire team of experts, from front-line staff to the boardroom, have dedicated years to ensure this distinguished certification became a reality for Memorial Healthcare and our patients,” said Brian Long, FACHE, President/CEO of Memorial Healthcare. “We take a tremendous amount of pride in offering our patients access to the highest quality of care possible, and this certification illustrates the cutting-edge level of care patients can expect from the Memorial Healthcare team when they come to our facilities.”

Memorial Healthcare’s Medical Director of the Stroke Program, Dr. Ali Saeed, and Manager Rebekah Hackenberg led the certification process for the hospital.

As a result of the organization’s efforts to bolster its stroke activations, Memorial Healthcare has achieved exceptional results in the first “golden” hour of those presenting to the emergency department with stroke symptoms. Memorial Healthcare has the ability to utilize telestroke capabilities to provide expert consultation on the administration of Alteplase, a potentially lifesaving clot-busting drug, and can quickly transfer patients to surrounding Comprehensive Stroke Centers if needed.

“It is extremely important to act fast if you or someone you love is having signs of a stroke,” said Dr. Saeed. “With a stroke, the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced and brain cells begin to die in minutes. That’s why it’s critically important to seek immediate emergency care.”

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