Prep for stroke certification with data, assessment of current services

If your hospital is interested in becoming certified in specialty stroke care or expanding its existing certification, start by assessing the care you already provide to determine how much—or how little—work you must do to get to the next level.

Initial or advanced certification is not only good for your patients, but it could also improve your hospital’s financial bottom line. Many states require emergency medical services (EMS) to take stroke patients to the closest hospital with a stroke unit, and depending on the severity of the stroke, the patient may be directed to a facility with a more comprehensive stroke center.

“Without the certification, the hospital will lose that business,” notes Gayle Nash, RN, MPH, president of Nash Healthcare, an accreditation compliance consulting firm headquartered in El Paso, Texas.

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