The George Washington University Hospital Re-Accredited as Comprehensive Stroke Center
The George Washington University Hospital (GW Hospital) has received two-year re-accreditation as a Comprehensive Stroke Center from the Joint Commission and American Heart Association®/American Stroke Association®. GW Hospital is one of only about four percent – 191 hospitals nationwide – to hold this distinction.
“As an academic medical center, GW Hospital is committed to providing innovative, evidence-based, high-quality care,” says Kimberly Russo, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at GW Hospital. “We are proud of the excellent and efficient stroke care we are able to offer patients and we look forward to further enhancing this care with the recent addition of our helipad and the upcoming addition of our intraoperative MRI in 2020.”
Learn more about our Comprehensive Stroke Center at GW Hospital.
GW Hospital received initial designation as a Comprehensive Stroke Center in 2015, making it only the 97th hospital (less than two percent) in the country to achieve this recognition. Certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center means the organization has met The Joint Commission’s standards for Disease-Specific Care Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification, making it part of an elite group of providers focused on complex stroke care. Complex Stroke Centers are recognized as industry leaders and are responsible for setting the national agenda in highly-specialized stroke care. These hospitals have advanced infrastructure, staff and training to receive and treat patients with the most complex strokes.
“This designation demonstrates our ability and expertise in treating the most complex stroke cases using advanced technology and multidisciplinary expertise,” says Henry Kaminski, MD, Chairman of the Department of Neurology at GW Hospital, The GW Medical Faculty Associates and GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “During a stroke, minutes matter and symptoms should not be ignored. We are pleased to be able to provide highly coordinated, lifesaving care to our patients that positions them to have the best outcomes possible following a stroke.”
To achieve re-accreditation, GW Hospital underwent a rigorous on-site review to ensure its continued compliance with the Comprehensive Stroke Center standards and requirements. These include having advanced imaging capabilities, 24/7 availability of specialized treatments, and staff with the unique education and competencies to care for complex stroke patients.
GW Hospital’s Stroke Center is part of its Neurosciences Institute, which offers comprehensive care for a variety of neurological conditions. In addition to stroke, GW Hospital is recognized as a Level 4 Epilepsy Center, the highest distinction possible, by The National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC). In 2017, GW Hospital also became the first hospital in the mid-Atlantic region to offer Precision Virtual Reality™ (VR) technology for neurosurgery.