Being certified for the 4th time as a Comprehensive Stroke Center highlights OSF Saint Francis Medical Center’s achievement in offering the highest standard of care for patients with stroke.
OSF Saint Francis Earns Advance Stroke Certification
The Peoria Stroke Center is certified for the 4th time as a Comprehensive Stroke Center
The OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute’s (INI) Stroke Center at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center has once again been named a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
The Stroke Center at OSF Saint Francis first earned this prestigious designation in 2012, and was the second stroke center in the United States to do so. This recertification solidifies the Stroke Center’s status as a leader in stroke care in the region.
“The Stroke Center at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center is elated to receive advanced certification from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,” said Dr. David Wang, Medical director of the stroke center, OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute. “Being certified for the 4th time as a Comprehensive Stroke Center highlights OSF Saint Francis Medical Center’s achievement in offering the highest standard of care for patients with stroke.”
To be eligible, hospitals must demonstrate compliance with stroke-related standards as a Primary Stroke Center and meet additional requirements, including those related to advanced imaging capabilities, 24/7 availability of specialized treatments, and providing staff with the unique education and competencies to care for complex stroke patients.
OSF Saint Francis underwent a rigorous onsite review in August 2018, when Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements.
"By achieving this advanced certification, OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of its patients with a complex stroke condition,” says Mark R. Chassin, M.D., FACP, M.P.P., M.P.H., president and CEO, The Joint Commission.
Stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
The OSF INI Comprehensive Stroke Center at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center is the epicenter of a stroke treatment network which serves 25 hospitals. Developed in 1997, the network was created to allow rural hospitals to provide the same urgent and quality of care by collaborating with a larger hospital. When treating a stroke, time is crucial and this network is based on a joint effort to provide the right treatment in a time-sensitive window.