Aspirus Langlade
Hospital (ALH) has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the
American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Acute Stroke Ready
Certification.
ALH underwent a
rigorous, onsite review on March 22, 2022. During the visit, a team of Joint
Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards
including program management, processes for delivering clinical care and
performance improvement. Joint Commission standards are developed in
consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and
patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
“Acute Stroke Ready
Certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering
continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says
Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and
Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission.
“We commend Aspirus Langlade Hospital for using certification to reduce
variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and
management framework for stroke patients.”
“We congratulate
Aspirus Langlade Hospital for this outstanding achievement,” says Nancy Brown,
chief executive officer, the American Stroke Association. “This certification
reflects its commitment to providing the highest quality of care for stroke
patients.”
“Our ALH Stroke Team
is committed to provide education and awareness to our patients and community
regarding strokes,” said Katie Snipp, VP of Patient Care & CNO at ALH.
“Achieving Acute Stroke Ready Certification is an incredible recognition, and I
am grateful to our wonderful team of staff and physicians who dedicate their
work in providing lifesaving education and treatment to save the lives in our
community.”
The ALH Stroke Team
is comprised of multiple hospital disciplines whose efforts strive to provide
extraordinary outcomes for each patient they treat knowing that every stroke
journey they encounter is unique. Continuous education for the ALH Stroke Team involves
keeping abreast of local community risk factors leading to stroke such as high
cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes is crucial in treatment
readiness. In addition, the ALH Stroke Team uses this knowledge to be proactive
to these factors by collaborating with all Aspirus providers to offer patient
education and resources.
Time is of the
utmost importance, the faster a stroke can be treated, the better the outcome.
Use BE FAST to recognize signs of a stroke:
- Balance;
sudden loss of coordination
- Eyes;
sudden change in vision
- Face;
sudden weakness on one side or facial droop
- Arm;
sudden arm or leg numbness or weakness
- Speech;
sudden slurred speech
- Terrible
Headache or Time to call 9-1-1
If you or someone
you know is experiencing signs of a stroke call 9-1-1 for emergency assistance.
Photo: L-R: Mary
Moore, Director-OD & Nursing Administration; Katie Snipp, VP Patient Care
& CNO; Dr. Troy Sennholz, ED Provider; Ellen Brokaw, Hospital Supervisor;
Kirk Lewis, RN; Cathy Connor, Director-Emergency & Outpatient; Kevin Foley
,Director-Imaging & Respiratory; Daniel Goodrich-Gonzalez, EMT; Christine
Klement, Director-Quality Improvement.