Parkland Health Center is pleased to announce two significant accomplishments in emergency stroke care. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Time Critical Diagnosis Unit has recently designated Parkland Health Center-Farmington as a Level III Missouri State Time Critical Diagnosis Stroke Center. In addition, Parkland also accomplished The Joint Commission Re-Certification as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center.
“This is significant news for our community,” said Dr. Bruce Harrison, medical director of Parkland Health Center’s emergency department. “Parkland has received the new state certification as well as the Joint Commission re-certification following very rigorous evaluations by experts in the field of emergency stroke care. The community can be assured of receiving exceptional stroke care at Parkland. I’m very proud of our emergency staff, not only for their compassion but for maintaining the highest of standards in emergency care for our community.”
While Parkland is beginning its third year of being a Joint Commission designated stroke center, the new state stroke center designation can be viewed as added assurance to the community. The DHSS made this designation only after a very thorough review by a team of experts that included an emergency medicine physician, a stroke coordinator and a neurologist, each from different health care systems, as well as a DHSS representative. The certification is for a four-year period.
Parkland initially earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers in late 2015. This is a two-year certification, and Parkland recently underwent a rigorous on-site review during which Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement. Parkland received notice of its re-certification on November 15, just four days before receiving state certification through DHSS.
Parkland Health Center is part of BJC HealthCare, which also includes St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the teaching hospitals for Washington University School of Medicine.