South Fulton Medical Center has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission for Advanced Primary Stroke Centers. South Fulton earned this distinction after a program review onsite on June 8, 2010.

The Joint Commission Advanced Primary Stroke Center Certification recognizes South Fulton Medical Center’s commitment to providing outstanding care to patients and the community.

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 second 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.

“Without the countless hours from our staff and physicians, this could not have been possible,” says James Clements, South Fulton Medical Center CEO. “I am extremely proud that we are one of the first hospitals in metro-Atlanta to earn the “Advanced” accreditation for a Primary Stroke Center. Unlike basic certification, the advanced program outlines additional clinically-specific requirements and expectations by the Joint Commission.”

Last fall South Fulton Medical Center became “stroke ready” and launched a new Stroke Program that included a wireless telemedicine robot, stroke-trained nurses in the Emergency Department, and Critical Care Unit (CCU), and strict guidelines developed by the American Stroke Association. South Fulton also reached out to the community to provide stroke education through community events and online resources, as well as launching a Stroke Support Group for patients, families and caregivers.

This Joint Commission accreditation demonstrates that the South Fulton Medical Center Stroke Program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients.  Facilities applying for the Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center designation must have demonstrated the following over a four-month time period:

• Use a standardized method of delivering care based on the Brain Attack Coalition recommendations for establishment of primary stroke centers.
• Support a patient’s self-management activities.
• Tailor treatment and intervention to individual needs.
• Promote the flow of patient information across settings and providers, while protecting patient rights, security and privacy.
• Analyze and use standardized performance measure data to continually improve treatment plans.
• Demonstrate application of and compliance with the clinical practice guidelines published by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association or equivalent evidence-based guidelines.

South Fulton Medical Center started a multi-disciplinary task force last summer to prepare for the implementation of the Stroke Program. Those on the task force included local EMS, SFMC Administration, Staff Development, and Medical Staff; and clinical leaders from the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit/CCU, Laboratory, Rehabilitation, Pharmacy and Radiology.

For more information on the Stroke Program or the Stroke Support Group, please call 404-466-WELL(9355) or click on Find an Event at www.southfultonmedicalcenter.com.