Two local hospitals' stroke care program awarded certification from the joint commission

Provided

Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center have earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers by demonstrating compliance with the national standards for health care quality and safety.
Each year about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation’s third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.??“We proudly accept this recognition from The Joint Commission; this designation underscores our long-standing commitment to providing the highest possible levels of quality care to the community we serve,” said Todd Gallati, President/CEO, Trident Health System. “We are pleased and proud to have our efforts recognized with The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™. Thank you to our physicians, EMS services, caregivers and Stroke Team who worked diligently to achieve this result.”??Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission is dedicated to continuously improving the safety and quality of the nation's health care through voluntary accreditation.  The Joint Commission's on-site survey occurred on November 17 and 18, 2009.
Status as a designated stroke center means Trident and Summerville Medical Centers have passed a series of rigorous and nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality health care, set by The Joint Commission.