FAYETTEVILLE - Washington Regional Medical Center recently became the first healthcare provider in its primary service area – Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties – to earn 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. The Gold Seal of Approval® and the Heart-Check mark represent symbols of quality from their respective organizations.
Washington Regional underwent a rigorous onsite review in which Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement. An independent, non-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare.
The certification is just the latest demonstration of Washington Regional’s commitment to provide advanced stroke care in Arkansas, which has the nation’s highest rate of death from stroke. Last year Washington Regional expanded its Northwest Arkansas Neuroscience Institute, adding a stroke neurologist and three neurosurgeons to its already highly skilled team and building an innovative hybrid operating suite dedicated primarily to the treatment of stroke and other brain disorders.