UAMS Medical Center Recertified as Comprehensive Stroke Center
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Medical Center has been recertified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by DNV Healthcare USA Inc.
In 2018, UAMS became the first hospital in Arkansas to earn Comprehensive Stroke Center designation, highlighting its commitment to offering Arkansans the best in stroke care. Additionally, for 10 consecutive years, UAMS has received the Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award, the highest level of stroke recognition by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association.
“Comprehensive Stroke Center status is one of the hardest certifications to achieve and maintain,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, chancellor of UAMS and CEO of UAMS Health. “Recertification is a testament to the dedication of our stroke team, which is fully committed to providing the best possible care for stroke patients.”
DNV is a world-leading certification body that is committed to helping health care organizations improve patient and staff safety in sustainable ways.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, on average, someone in the U.S. dies of a stroke every 3 minutes and 11 seconds, resulting in 453 deaths from stroke every day.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die.
According to DNV, the Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification is awarded to “hospitals with personnel, infrastructure and expertise to diagnose and treat stroke patients who require intensive medical and surgical care, specialized tests or interventional therapies. A Comprehensive Stroke Center delivers the highest quality of care to the most complex cases, offering evidence-based treatments with cutting-edge research protocols.”
“I am so proud of our team for achieving this certification,” said Paige Womack, BSN, RN, director of the UAMS stroke program. “At UAMS, we are dedicated to consistently delivering excellent care for stroke patients by following the latest treatment guidelines. This certification is one more way that we show our patients our wholehearted commitment to their care.”
UAMS offers 24/7 access to stroke experts who ensure rapid treatment with clot-busting medications, perform interventional neuroradiology and advanced neurosurgical procedures, and deliver post-procedural care guided by best practices to enhance patient outcomes.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.
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