Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH) has become a Primary Stroke Center, a certification given by the Joint Commission to those who establish a consistent and exceptional approach to Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) patient care in our community.
The new Stroke Center, now part of Hartford HealthCare’s Ayer Neuroscience Institute, offers a more patient-centric approach that provides an exceptional experience for patients and their families. In the past, someone in the region who experienced a stroke would be stabilized and transferred out to another facility with stroke certification for continued care. Now, the majority of the stroke patients will be able to remain at CHH in Torrington.
“On behalf of our hospital, I extend our heartfelt congratulations and thanks to the entire Stroke Performance Improvement Team and the many additional colleagues and providers who have worked so diligently over the past two years in preparation for this great achievement,” said Bimal Patel, President for the Northwest Region and Senior Vice President for Hartford HealthCare. “This recognition is a testament to the skill and dedication of our entire stroke team. It should be comforting for the community to know that they can receive world-class stroke care in their local hospital.”
To be eligible for Primary Stroke Center designation, hospitals must demonstrate compliance with stroke-related standards and meet additional requirements, including those related to advanced imaging capabilities, 24/7 availability of specialized treatments and providing staff with the competencies to care for stroke and TIA patients.
CHH prepared for the designation by offering staff stroke education, implementing stroke specific workflows and installing new equipment. Proceeds from the hospital’s 2021 golf tournament went towards funding and purchasing imaging software to help visualize strokes and determine the best treatment options for each patient.
“This was a remarkable team effort achieved by so many, and a proud moment in our history as we are now among Hartford HealthCare acute care hospitals across the state that offer Stroke Centers,” said John J. Capobianco, Senior Vice President, Northwest Region.
“We’re all very dedicated to raising the bar for stroke care at Charlotte. We have been working toward this certification with our local team for over a year and it’s been very rewarding. The innovative, patient-centric approach we are now offering is better for our patients, their families and the community, and it’s close to home,” said neurologist Hugh Cahill, MD, PhD, the Medical Director of the CHH Stroke Program.
Having this designation for excellence in the care of stroke and TIA patients helps create and strengthen a loyal, cohesive clinical team, enhances the facility’s ability to attract top-level talent and strengthens community confidence in the quality and safety of stroke care, treatment and services.
It also demonstrates commitment to a higher standard of clinical service and provides a framework to improve patient outcomes.
“Primary Stroke Center 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 of The Joint Commission. “We commend Charlotte Hungerford Hospital for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for stroke patients.”