Beebe Medical Center Earns Advanced Primary Stroke Center Recertification

Beebe Medical Center has once again received certification from The Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. The recertification means that Beebe Medical Center provides a nationally recognized standard of care that fosters the best possible outcomes for stroke sufferers. The Joint Commission assesses hospital stroke programs every two years.

Beebe Medical Center has offered a certified stroke program since 2010.

Certification means that Beebe Medical Center is ready and able to treat patients with stroke twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven days a week.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for a community hospital and reflects the commitment of the entire staff at Beebe Medical Center,” says neurologist Abraham Scheer, MD, Medical Director of Beebe Medical Center’s Neurology/Stroke Services Program. “Stroke is a serious and all too common problem and we must be prepared to recognize and treat stroke sufferers in a quick and efficient manner. As a certified Stroke Center, Beebe Medical Center is now recognized as a hospital of choice in a stroke emergency.”

Stroke is a leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Stroke kills almost 130,000 Americans each year, or 1 in every 18 deaths is caused from stroke. Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes. One in four are recurrent strokes, the CDC reports.

Emergency care within the first three hours of a stroke can mean the difference between life and death, full recovery or permanent disability for stroke victims. Beebe Medical Center has implemented the quality care measures for optimal outcomes. Those include the aggressive use of medications, such as the clot-busting medication tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), as well as the use of antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis, and cholesterol-reducing drugs. Beebe Medical Center also offers a patient education program that includes information about stroke, the treatment provided and the importance of lifestyle changes such as smoking cessation.

A multidisciplinary team of neurologists, emergency room physicians and staff, nurses, speech language pathologists and other clinicians focus on the clinical requirements necessary for the health and safety of the stroke patient.  Beebe Medical Center has instituted a Rapid Response Team, which is made up of medical specialists and is available around the clock in the event of a medical emergency.

Beebe Medical Center’s Stroke Program includes an educational component assuring that all hospital employees are trained to recognize the signs of stroke and know what action they must take if someone is presenting symptoms.  The multidisciplinary team takes part in regular stroke patient rounding within the hospital. Specialized nurses provide outreach education within the community.

The recertification represents the culmination of an effort Beebe Medical Center began in 2009 to develop the hospital-wide stroke program grounded in evidence-based protocols.  In May 2011, Beebe Medical Center’s efforts were recognized when it received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award.

The Joint Commission issues a certification only after an on-site review is carried out that assesses the hospital’s commitment to excellence in providing disease-specific services in a comprehensive manner.

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It is important to get emergency medical care if you or someone you know is having a stroke. Time is critical or in other words time is brain. Call 911 if someone is suffering from the following symptoms:

FACE: A drooping of the face or mouth to one side

ARMS: The inability of the person to lift both arms at the same time – one arm drifts downward

SPEECH: The person cannot repeat a simple sentence when asked.

Your quick response could save a life.

Beebe Medical Center is a not-for-profit community medical center with a charitable mission to encourage healthy living, prevent illness, and restore optimal health with the people residing, working, or visiting in the communities we serve.  For more information, please visit us online at www.beebemed.org