Baptist Clay Medical Campus receives state's first stroke designation for a freestanding emergency center

The Baptist Clay Medical Campus has received certification as an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital, the first designation by The Joint Commission to a freestanding emergency center in Florida.

The certification from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recognizes hospitals equipped to treat stroke patients with timely, evidence-based care prior to transferring them to a Primary or Comprehensive Stroke Center.

"The team at the Baptist Clay Medical Campus has demonstrated excellence in caring for patients presenting with stroke symptoms, and this certification reflects their commitment to ensuring high-level, high-quality care to our patients," said Mindy S. Grall, PhD, ARNP-BC, administrative director of the Stroke and Cerebrovascular Program at Baptist Health.

The Baptist Clay Medical Campus underwent a rigorous onsite review recently to assess its compliance with the Joint Commission's Advanced Disease-Specific Care certification requirements, including:

• A dedicated stroke-focused program
• Staffing by qualified medical professionals trained in stroke care
• Collaboration with local emergency management agencies
• 24/7 ability to perform rapid diagnostic and laboratory testing
• Ability to administer intravenous clot-busting medications to eligible patients
• Availability of telemedicine technology

"This certification demonstrates our ability to deliver the best in timely acute care for patients suffering from a stroke," said Darin C. Roark, BSN, MBA, RN, administrator of Emergency Services for Baptist Health. "Research demonstrates that during a stroke, 2 million neurons die each minute. The Baptist Health Stroke and Cerebrovascular Program offers timely evaluation and treatment with the appropriate medication and when necessary, further endovascular intervention for patients suffering from acute stroke. The residents of Clay County can rest assured knowing immediate stroke care is ready and available 24/7 at our Fleming Island campus."

"When responding to a stroke, every second counts," said Casey Carrigan, MD, medical director of the Stroke Program for Baptist Clay Medical Campus. "Time lost is brain lost. In a typical ischemic stroke, a person's brain ages 3.6 years every hour without treatment compared to a normally aging brain. Our medical team is here to ensure patients receive the highest quality and timely care to improve chances of survival."

Established in 2015, Acute Stroke Ready Hospital Certification is awarded for a two-year period to Joint Commission-accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals. The certification was derived from the Brain Attack Coalition's "Recommendations for Comprehensive Stroke Centers" (Stroke, 2005), "Metrics for Measuring Quality of Care in Comprehensive Stroke Centers" (Stroke, 2011) and recommendations from a multidisciplinary advisory panel of experts in complex stroke care.

"A Joint Commission and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association certified Acute Stroke Ready Hospital will be the foundation for acute stroke care in many communities, allowing it to be the first stop on a patient's acute stroke journey," said Wendi Roberts, RN, BA, MS, CLNC, executive director, Certification Programs, The Joint Commission.

Stroke is the fifth cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.