ADVANCED TREATMENT FOR STROKE

In June, the Barnes-Jewish and Washington University Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center became the first certified Comprehensive Stroke Center in Missouri—and one of the first in the country.

The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association established the certification process to recognize hospitals that have the resources and expertise to treat the most complex stroke cases, including brain aneurysms. In 2005, the Joint Commission designated the Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center as the first Primary Stroke Center in Missouri.

“What makes a Comprehensive Stroke Center truly comprehensive is that it coordinates the full range of stroke care and treatment, from clot-dissolving medicine to complex interventions and surgery for brain aneurysms,” says David Carpenter, MD, a Washington University vascular neurologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

The Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center underwent a rigorous review process before receiving certification. The staff had to demonstrate that the center had the human resources— and the technology—to perform the neurosurgical or endovascular procedures needed by some patients with stroke and that it offered advanced imaging techniques. Additionally, the center had to show that it participates in stroke research, that it coordinates the care of stroke patients with emergency medical services across the region and that it provides care for patients with stroke after they leave the hospital.

“Our mission,” says Mary Spencer, MSN, RN, neuroscience program director at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, “is to improve stroke care locally and regionally, providing the highest level of treatment available.”