Morris Hospital Achieves Re-Certification as Primary Stroke Center
February 12, 2018, MORRIS, IL – Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers has been awarded Primary Stroke Certification from the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), an indication that Morris Hospital has the capacity to stabilize and treat acute stroke patients, provide acute care, and administer tPA and other acute therapies safely and efficiently.
“This certification signifies that Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers has demonstrated its commitment to providing excellent stroke care to its patients,” said Lawrence Haspel, DO, Chairman of the Bureau of Healthcare Facilities Accreditation for the HFAP. “Hospitals that have established stroke centers have demonstrated improved treatment, better patient outcomes, and reduced costs. Additionally, Primary Stroke Centers have the required infrastructure and protocols in place to stabilize and provide initial time-sensitive treatments, then transfer to partnering hospitals able to provide rapid and evidence-based care to acute stroke patients.”
In order to achieve Primary Stroke Certification, Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers had to demonstrate that it meets the following standards:
• The stroke program director must have extensive experience in acute stroke
• The stroke code team must arrive at the patient bedside within 15 minutes
• Lab testing and advanced imaging capabilities must be available 24/7
• Neurologists must be accessible 24/7
• Neurosurgical expertise must be available or the ability to transfer within two hours
• A designated stroke unit
• Staff must demonstrate competency in education requirements
“We are proud to renew the prestigious HFAP Primary Stroke Certification,” said Cara Marco, RN, MSN, Stroke Coordinator and Manager of 2 South/House Supervisors at Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers. “Our team is committed to assuring all stroke patients at Morris Hospital get the right care every time. We are very proud of the exceptional stroke care we provide to our patients and community.”
Morris Hospital is also designated as a Primary Stroke Center by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
HFAP has been certifying stroke centers since 2006 and differs from other certification programs in that it provides a three-year certification award with a mid-cycle review at 18 months. In addition, for reimbursement eligibility, hospitals must submit quarterly clinical performance measures to the HFAP office and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Serving patients at 25 locations in 11 communities, Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers includes the 89-bed Morris Hospital, as well as physician offices in Braidwood, Channahon, Dwight, Gardner, Marseilles, Mazon, Minooka, Morris, Newark, Ottawa and Yorkville. Through the services of over 1,700 healthcare professionals, physicians and volunteers, Morris Hospital provides lifesaving cardiac intervention with angioplasty and stents, a radiation therapy center for cancer patients, a state-of-the-art intensive care unit, and immediate care services at three locations. Morris Hospital is a Level II trauma center, a Level II perinatal care provider with an intermediate care nursery, an emergency department approved for pediatrics, and a Primary Stroke Center. Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers is a recipient of The Advisory Board Company’s 2017 Workplace of the Year Award for having outstanding employee engagement and was named on Becker’s Hospital Review’s 100 Great Community Hospitals list in 2016 and 2017.
HFAP is a nationally recognized not-for-profit accreditation organization with deeming authority from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Originally created in 1945, HFAP is the original healthcare accrediting body in the United States. HFAP accreditation is recognized by the federal government, state governments, managed care organizations, and insurance companies. In 2015, the Accreditation Association for Hospitals/Health Systems (AAHHS), acquired and assumed management of HFAP’s range of accreditation and specialty certification programs. For more information about these programs, visit www.hfap.org.
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