MADISON, Wis. – UW Health is expanding elite emergency stroke care to the east side of Dane County.
In late June, UW Health East Madison Hospital received Acute Stroke Ready Hospital Certification from The Joint Commission, the nonprofit responsible for reviewing and accrediting health care organizations in the United States.
The certification indicates that East Madison Hospital and the Emergency Department at the hospital have achieved a high level of stroke response and meet the expanse of requirements of The Joint Commission for timely patient assessment and treatment. This includes a dedicated stroke response program employing evidence-based protocols and processes, providing specialized staff training in acute stroke care, implementing quality improvement initiatives, establishing data collection and data-driven improvement and having strong emergency medical services collaborations with local agencies.
The new certification for the hospital also allows for faster response times for treating people experiencing a stroke on the east side of Madison and Dane County, according to Dr. Hani Kuttab, Emergency Department and Stroke Program Medical Director at UW Health East Madison Hospital.
East Madison Hospital has two important capabilities, in particular, that can help patients in urgent need of critical care faster, according to Kuttab.
The hospital has telestroke capabilities, where a stroke neurologist can examine the patient via a video feed and view brain scans in real time any time of day.
This certification also streamlines processes for patient transfers to University Hospital in downtown Madison, which is a Comprehensive Stroke Center, whenever needed, he said.
“Acute Stroke Ready Hospital certification enhances our level of stroke care by ensuring timely access to critical treatments, where every minute counts,” he said.
To maintain the new certification, members of the stroke care team will provide updates quarterly to The Joint Commission and the hospital will be reviewed onsite periodically.
“Our multidisciplinary team is excited to provide this level of stroke care in two locations within the UW Health system,” Kuttab said. “It provides more options for our emergency medical services partners and, in the end, a better chance of surviving a stroke while retaining as much functionality as possible for our patients.
