St. Vincent Charity Hospital’s Stroke Care Program Receives Certification as Primary Stroke Center

Cleveland – July 26, 2007 – St. Vincent Charity Hospital has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers following an on-site review conducted in June.

“We are pleased to receive this designation,” said Jeffrey S. Jeney, president and CEO, St. Vincent Charity Hospital. “It is a tribute to our dedicated team of physicians and Caregivers who worked hard to achieve this recognition.”

In addition to seeking and achieving this certification, St. Vincent Charity Hospital regularly conducts community outreach education focused on signs and symptoms that will shorten the length of time between onset of symptoms and treatment. 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 seconds, 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.

The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification Program evaluates stroke care provided by hospitals based on compliance with national standards, effective use of primary stroke center recommendations and clinical practice guidelines, and performance measurement and improvement activities. Primary Stroke Centers undergo an on-site review every two years.