July 27, 2006

Central Baptist Hospital’s Primary Stroke Center has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ for health care quality. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital (JHACO) awarded Central Baptist Hospital Disease Specific Care Certification for care of stroke patients.

To earn this distinction, a disease management program undergoes an extensive on-site evaluation. The program is evaluated against Joint Commission standards through an assessment of a program’s processes, the program’s ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, and interviews with patients and staff.

“If a stroke patient is to have hope of significant recovery, they must get to a hospital which offers the “clot-busting drug tPA, and a team of professionals experienced in the care of strokes, said Bill Brooks, M.D.” Central Baptist Hospital offers a specialized procedure which extends the preferred time of treatment for a stroke from three to six hours from the onset of symptoms.

Symptoms of stroke include weakness or numbness on one side of the face, hand or body, drooping of one side of the face, slurred speech or difficulty understanding language, loss or blurred vision in one or both eyes, dizziness or imbalance; or an unusually severe headache, according to the National Stroke Association.

Treating stroke and episodes of transient ischemic attacks (symptoms similar to a stroke that occur then resolve within 24 hours) as emergencies can make the difference between life and death. 

For more information, call the Central Baptist Hospital Neuroscience Center at 859-260-5500 or visit www.centralbap.com.