Georgia’s oldest comprehensive stroke center at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center was approved by The Joint Commission to renew its best-in-class certification.
The healthcare accrediting body has four advanced stroke certifications. Wellstar MCG Health has once again earned its most demanding certification—the Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) certification—which was designed for hospitals that can treat complex stroke cases.
Wellstar MCG Health’s stroke center, which provides care to a thousand patients annually, was the first hospital in Georgia to get the CSC certification when it was first offered in 2013.
Every two years, the program must get recertified, a process that requires surveyors from The Joint Commission to visit the center to observe practices and collect data, such as complication rates.
This year, two surveyors spent two days in April doing a comprehensive review of the stroke center.
Dr. Scott Rahimi, neurosurgical director of the stroke center, said this year’s review was the best they’ve had since becoming a CSC in 2013.
“This year we took care of more stroke patients than any other facility in the CSRA,” he said.
Eight hospitals in Georgia have the CSC certification, including Wellstar Kennestone, Wellstar MCG Health and Wellstar North Fulton Medical Centers, but Wellstar MCG Health is the only in the region with the advanced certification, said Stroke Program Manager Amanda Howard.
“This particular survey was very rewarding and made it worth all the hard work we do taking care of patients,” she said.
