Northside Hospital & Tampa Bay Heart Institute’s Stroke Care Program Awarded Certification from The Joint Commission

St. Petersburg, Florida (February 20, 2009) – Northside Hospital & Tampa Bay Heart Institute has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers. Northside Hospital & Tampa Bay Heart Institute earned this distinction after the Joint Commission conducted an on-site review.

“Northside Hospital & Tampa Bay Heart Institute demonstrated that its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients,” says Jean E. Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission.

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 ever 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’re proud to achieve this distinction,” says Stephen J. Daugherty, Northside Hospital & Tampa Bay Heart Institute’s CEO. “Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center Certification recognizes Northside Hospital & Tampa Bay Heart Institute’s commitment to providing outstanding care to our patients and our community.”

The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association’s statements/guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program—the nation’s first—in 2003. A list of programs certified by the Joint Commission is available at http://www.jointcommission.org.

About Northside Hospital & Tampa Bay Heart Institute
Serving the community since 1976, Northside Hospital & Tampa Bay Heart Institute is a 288-bed hospital, specializing in cardiovascular care, stroke, orthopedics and colorectal and general surgery. Our technologically advanced facility, which includes a 64-slice CT scanner, allows our superior physicians and nursing staff to care for our growing community.