Press Release
Carteret General Earns Advanced Primary Stroke Center Status
Carteret General Hospital Recognized Nationally,
Receiving Sixth Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval
“Achieving the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval is further affirmation of the excellent care we strive to provide on a daily basis.” Dr. Jennifer Bradstreet, Stroke Program Medical Director
Carteret General Hospital’s commitment to excellence has once again been recognized nationally, this time for a specialized program dealing with stroke patients. Carteret General was awarded the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association Heart-Check Mark for their Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. The Gold Seal Certification of Carteret General recognizes that their Stroke Care Program meets or exceeds critical elements of national performance standards to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients.
On receiving notification of the national award, Carteret General Hospital’s Stroke Program Medical Director Dr. Jennifer Bradstreet noted “Joint Commission Certification shows a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis, helping foster a culture of excellence. Achieving the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval is further affirmation of the excellent care we strive to provide on a daily basis.”
Carteret General’s Stroke Program, one of only a select number of hospital stroke programs east of Raleigh that have garnered this distinction, treats more than 350 patients a year. The Stroke Program joins other Gold Seal status programs at Carteret General including Joint Replacement for both Knee & Hip, Pathology & Clinical Laboratory, as well as the Home Care program. Certification is available only to programs in Joint Commission accredited hospitals.
“This important designation gives us the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide for our patients, improving the overall care of our community” said Carteret General Hospital President Dick Brvenik. “We are thoroughly committed to providing our patients the highest quality care, centered on current scientific research that ensures continued improvement in treatment”.
For Carteret General, this achievement as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center reaffirms the quality stroke care patients receive such as the Telestroke Robot in the Emergency Room that virtually brings a stroke expert from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center to the patient’s bedside. The Telestroke Robot, named Riley, can move around freely and interact with patients, family members, physicians and other hospital staff. Through this partnership, our emergency physicians are able to receive on demand consultation to help diagnose strokes and develop care plans quicker and take action if necessary. Together they can determine if a patient is a candidate for tPA, an intravenous clot busting drug or other life saving interventions.
Carteret General Hospital will be able to display the Gold Seal of Approval and the American Heart Association Heart-Check mark, helping patients easily identify a top quality facility that is providing the next generation of stroke or heart failure care. For more information on Carteret General Hospital visit www.carteretgeneral.com. For more information on The Joint Commission and American Heart Association’s Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Center visit www.jointcommission.org/ or www.heart.org/myhospital.
About The Joint Commission:
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 10,300 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,500 other health care organizations that provide long term care, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission currently certifies more than 2,000 disease-specific care programs, focused on the care of patients with chronic illnesses such as stroke, joint replacement, stroke rehabilitation, heart failure and many others. The Joint Commission also provides health care staffing services certification for more than 750 staffing offices. 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 the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association:
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.