Ochsner Medical Center awarded Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Certification from The Joint Commission

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check Mark for Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Certification.

Launched in 2003, this designation is reserved for Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals and awarded for a two-year period. The Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Certification is the most demanding stroke certification and is designed for hospitals that have specific abilities to receive and treat the most complex stroke cases. Ochsner Medical Center has been an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke center for the past nine years.

Ochsner underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review in April 2022. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards including program management and delivering and facilitating surgical and clinical care of stroke patients. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Ochsner for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for stroke patients.”

According to the American Stroke Association, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Anyone who has signs or symptoms of a stroke needs immediate medical attention in an emergency department because early treatment can reduce brain damage that results from a stroke. This can improve short-term and long-term outcomes. Ochsner, through its nationally recognized Neuroscience Institute, has a multidisciplinary approach to stroke care that encompasses inpatient and outpatient physical, occupational and speech rehabilitation and includes an innovative at home follow-up education program that decreases the rates of stroke recurrence and readmission.

Ochsner uses the most technologically advanced processes and programs to quickly diagnose and treat strokes across the region. Ochsner partners with more than 50 participating hospitals throughout Louisiana and Mississippi in a unique Telestroke Program. This program enables experts from both facilities to consult immediately with Ochsner vascular neurologists 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, using telemedicine equipment to determine the best treatment options for stroke patients.

In 2021, Ochsner began implementing the RapidAI platform, a stroke detection and treatment program that brings the most advanced imaging software for identifying treatment options for stroke patients. The Rapid platform, powered by artificial intelligence, provides physicians with fast, fully automated, and easy-to-interpret imaging that allows for timely and effective treatment of strokes. Managed at Ochsner Medical Center and available at nearly 30 other hospitals across the Ochsner system, RapidAI combines advanced imaging and workflow to enable physicians to make faster, more accurate triage or transfer decisions.

“Every moment matters during a stroke, so it’s critically important to act fast. Having access to high quality and all-inclusive stroke care in our community is an important resource, as Louisiana unfortunately has one of the highest incidence rates of stroke in the U.S. We are truly passionate about providing the best stroke care possible for the people of New Orleans and surrounding areas,” said Richard Zweifler, MD, system chair of neurology, Ochsner Health.

“We congratulate Ochsner for this outstanding achievement,” says Nancy Brown, chief executive officer, the American Stroke Association. “This certification reflects its commitment to providing the highest quality of care for stroke patients.”

For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website.

Ochsner’s Comprehensive Stroke Center is the leading center for stroke care in the Gulf South and was the first center in the region to be named a Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Its award-winning quality has earned us a national ranking of Top 50 in Neurology & Neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report for 10 consecutive years and America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Vascular Surgery Award by Healthgrades.

To learn more about your stroke risk, take Ochsner’s stroke risk assessment. To learn more about the award-winning care at the Ochsner Neuroscience Institute, visit www.ochsner.org/neuroscience.

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About Ochsner Health

Ochsner Health is an integrated healthcare system with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Celebrating 80 years in 2022, it leads nationally in cancer care, cardiology, neurosciences, liver and heart transplants and pediatrics, among other areas. Ochsner is consistently named both the top hospital and top children’s hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The not-for-profit organization is inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities. Its focus is on preventing diseases and providing patient-centered care that is accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner Health pioneers new treatments, deploys emerging technologies and performs groundbreaking research, including over 700 clinical studies. It has more than 34,000 employees and over 4,500 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. It operates 40 hospitals and more than 300 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South; and its cutting-edge Connected Health digital medicine program is caring for patients beyond its walls. In 2021, Ochsner Health treated more than 1 million people from every state and 75 countries. As Louisiana’s top healthcare educator, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. To learn more, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.