The Joint Commission recently recognized Barnes-Jewish Hospital for participating in developing potential new standard performance measures for The Joint Commission Disease-Specific Care Comprehensive Stroke Certification Program. As part of a pilot study, the work done by the Barnes-Jewish Hospital stroke team will further develop metrics already in the planning phase.
“We are truly setting the standard of care,” said Jo-Ann Burns, MSN, SCRN, stroke program coordinator at BJH. “The care we are providing is being seen as the best practice, on a national scale.”
BJH was one of 82 hospitals that participated in a six-month pilot with the Joint Commission, October 2012-March 2013. During this time, BJH recorded approximately 700 stroke patients’ diagnoses and advanced neurointerventional treatments. The team also gave each patient a score, which rated the condition of the patient 90 days after leaving the hospital.
The Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center was also recently recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association with the Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award at the 2014 International Stroke Conference. To receive the Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award, BJH achieved 85 percent adherence for at least 24 months to all “Get With the Guidelines-Stroke” Quality Achievement indicators.
The hospital also qualified for the AHA’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll status. To be part of the Stroke Honor Roll, a hospital must meet the target of administering the clot-busting drug, tPA, to stroke patients in the emergency department within 60 minutes of arrival. Barnes-Jewish’s average time for giving tPA is 43 minutes so far in 2014.
“I think our accomplishments at the stroke center will continue to grow as we learn from other best practices around the country and continue to improve ourselves,” said Burns.
BJH is one of two hospitals in the state of Missouri to be certified by The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, recognized for treating the most complex strokes and aneurysms. Currently, 66 other hospitals in the nation are Comprehensive Stroke Centers.
We are proud to be one of the best stroke centers in the country and we will continue to provide our patients with the highest level of stroke treatment available,” Mary Spencer, RN, MSN, executive director of neurosciences and the orthopedic center at BJH.
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Barnes-Jewish Hospital is a 1,315 bed teaching hospital affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo. The hospital has a 1,763 member medical staff, with many recognized as "Best Doctors in America." Barnes-Jewish is a member of BJC HealthCare, which provides a full range of health care services through its 13 hospitals and more than 100 health care sites in Missouri and Illinois. Barnes-Jewish Hospital is also consistently ranked on the elite honor roll of America’s “Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report.
Contact:
Sarah Kinkade
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