Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center has earned Thrombectomy-Capable Certification from the Joint Commission for the hospital’s exceptional stroke program.

During a September onsite review at Mountainside Medical Center, a Joint Commission team evaluated compliance with related certification standards including use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and provide optimal patient care, data collection on all stroke patients, and data use for improving the stroke program.

“Thrombectomy-Capable Certification recognized health care organizations are 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 executive, Joint Commission. “We commend Mountainside Medical Center for using certification to manage framework for stroke patients.”

In addition to updating necessary policies, conducting patient education, and completing physician and team member education, the hospital partnered with local emergency medical services (EMS) for “Code Stroke” drills, an exercise that simulates a patient’s stroke journey from EMS response following a 9-1-1 call, to the hospital’s Emergency Department and the patient’s admission to the interventional catheterization lab for thrombectomy treatment.  This drill is designed to educate, evaluate, and improve the Code Stroke process.

“This certification is a result of the combined efforts of our physicians, team members and key leadership and their dedication to patient service,” said Tim O’Brien, chief executive officer or Mountainside Medical Center. “In addition to our Primary Stroke Certification, we are proud to provide this life-saving procedure to our community and the outcomes that led to this designation from the Joint Commission.”

Mountainside Medical Center is a designated Primary Stroke Center by the state of New Jersey. The hospital is one of a few community hospitals capable of performing lifesaving thrombectomy procedures for stroke patients. To learn more about the hospital’s stroke program, visit www.mountainsidehop.com.