Sherman Health is working toward being able to provide more care to their patients while still providing them with excellent care, by becoming certified as a Primary Stroke Center. The addition of this certification will allow Sherman Health to provide their patients with more specialized care.

Lori Compton, a registered nurse and Manager of Ortho/Neuro Care at Sherman, helped us learn more about what this new certification entails for Sherman Health’s future.

Sherman Health Blog: Sherman is in the middle of a stroke certification process. What does this entail? How does a hospital obtain stroke certification?
Lori Compton: Sherman Hospital has voluntarily chosen to pursue Primary Stroke Center Certification through the Joint Commission in order to provide optimal care to the community we serve.  The criteria for Stroke Center Certification includes best-practice evidenced based standards, established clinical practice guidelines, and a process to assess performance and implement process improvement.

SHB: When did the certification process for Sherman begin? How long does it typically take to become certified?
LC: The decision to seek certification was made by Sherman Hospital in May 2009. Development of a multi-disciplinary team lead by our physician champion, Dr. Ghumra, a Board Certified Neurologist began in June 2009. The team has developed processes, protocols, and most importantly education to key members of the Sherman Stroke Team in order to provide timely, expert care to the patient experiencing a stroke.

SHB: What does it mean for patients and for Sherman if/when certification is granted?
LC: Primary Stroke Center Certification indicates a commitment from Sherman Hospital to ensure that patients receive timely state of the art treatment in order to achieve the best possible outcome for each patient.

SHB: How long does certification last after it’s granted? Does a hospital need to be re-certified at some point?
LC: We will have to  go through re-certification every two years.

SHB: What advancements in Stroke Care have been made recently at Sherman, and are there any planned for the future?
LC: Sherman Hospital has implemented Code BAT (Brain Attack Team) which is a rapid response team comprised of trained clinicians to ensure stroke patients receive timely and expert care. We have also partnered with Central Dupage Hospital which provides intervention options to patients who meet criteria.

To learn more about Sherman Health and the latest health news, visit ShermanHealth.com