North Oaks Medical Center Celebrates Recertification as a Primary Stroke Center in conjunction with National Stroke Awareness Month

In conjunction with National Stroke Awareness Month, the North Oaks Medical Center team is celebrating the hospital’s recent recertification as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission.

With recertification, the hospital has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval®, as well as the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark, for using best practices in providing prompt stroke intervention and care and for improving patient outcomes.

“North Oaks Medical Center has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of stroke patients through its recertification as a Primary Stroke Center,” comments Patrick Phelan, who is executive director of hospital business development for The Joint Commission.

“We congratulate North Oaks Medical Center for achieving this designation,” adds Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “By adhering to this very specific set of treatment guidelines, North Oaks has clearly made it a priority to deliver high quality care to all patients affected by stroke.”

“We are pleased to receive recertification from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,” affirms Michele Sutton, president and chief executive officer of North Oaks Health System. “Recertification validates the exceptional stroke care our team provides and our commitment to advancing stroke care even further.”

Recertification follows a rigorous on-site review in December 2016 and validates the certification first earned in 2014 for another two years through 2018. A Joint Commission expert conducted the on-site review to evaluate the hospital’s compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement.

Developed in collaboration with the American Stroke Association and launched in 2003, the Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification program is based on the Brain Attack Coalition's "Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers" and the “Revised and Updated Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers.”

Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death in Louisiana, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average in the U.S., someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every 4 minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

Other stroke-related services offered by North Oaks Health System include North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital’s Stroke Specialty Program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). It is one of only five such programs in Louisiana. The health system also co-sponsors the Stroke Support Group of Hammond with Southeastern Louisiana University.

For more information about North Oaks Medical Center’s Certified Primary Stroke Center or North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital’s Stroke Specialty Program, call North Oaks Public Relations at (985) 230-6647. 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. For more information about the Stroke Support Group of Hammond, call Dr. Meghan Savage at (985) 230-2346.

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In conjunction with National Stroke Awareness Month, members of the North Oaks Medical Center Stroke Team celebrate the hospital’s recent recertification as a Primary Stroke Center. Seated, from left, are Casey Alford, Jackie Carr, Jennifer Mercer, Christy Lee and Dr. Mark Haile. Standing, from left, areCharles Abrams, Ashley Woodard, Gerald Magliolo, Mike Holliday, Eric Neal, Brent Graham, Ben Bourgeois, Heidi Morreale and Crystal Vicknair.

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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 accredits and certifies more than 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit 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 and the American Stroke Association are devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke- America’s No. 1 and No. 4 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 American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The American Stroke Association is a division of the American Heart Association. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The familiar Heart-Check mark now helps consumers evaluate their choices in hospital care. Each mark given to a hospital is earned by meeting specific standards for the care of patients with heart disease and/or stroke. The Heart-Check mark can only be displayed by hospitals that have achieved and defined requirements set by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. For more information on the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Hospital Accreditation Program visit www.heart.org/myhospital.

About North Oaks Health System:

North Oaks Health System is one of Louisiana’s largest and most progressive community hospital organizations and is strategically based between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. For more than 50 years, we have made it our mission to improve lives, every time and with every touch. Facilities in Tangipahoa and Livingston Parishes include an acute care hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, two outpatient diagnostic & treatment centers, an outpatient surgery center, two outpatient rehabilitation clinics, a hospice agency and a growing physician group for primary and specialty care. Visit us at www.northoaks.org.