Contact: Melissa Hamilton
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Fawcett's Stroke Center First In Southwest Florida To Receive National Accreditation

PORT CHARLOTTE, FL, May 24, 2005 – Fawcett Memorial Hospital is the first in Southwest Florida and one of approx 100 in the nation to earn national certification as a Primary Stroke Center from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the leading and most trusted agency evaluating clinical quality in all types of healthcare settings.

JCAHO visited Fawcett on April 25th to carefully review the hospital’s stroke program of care with regard to disease –specific standards. JCAHO particularly noted Fawcett’s expanding stroke awareness efforts within the community, extensive EMS instruction and outreach and efforts to increase patient satisfaction.

Joint Commission Disease-Specific Care Certification such as Primary Stroke Center certification, assures consumers and purchasers that Fawcett Memorial’s Stroke Program is committed to quality and safety excellence,” said Maureen Connors Potter, executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification Program, Joint Commission. “It is the Gold Seal of Approval for health care quality and safety.”

“We are very proud to be one of a handful of hospitals in the entire country to have received this distinction from the JCAHO, said Sandy Morgan, Chief Nursing Officer. Fawcett has demonstrated better patient outcomes and a truly comprehensive system of care for stroke patients.”

Receiving Primary Stroke Center certification means that Fawcett Memorial Hospital exceeds national standards for treatment of stroke patients, and has exhibited high quality patient care outcomes for numerous years.

“We voluntarily pursued this comprehensive, independent evaluation to enhance the safety and quality of care we provide,” said William Holt, D.O., stroke program medical director. “We’re proud to achieve this distinction.”

An important reason for development of the accreditation program was to encourage a more rapid and widespread nationwide adoption of effective stroke treatments. One requirement is that physicians consider administering tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), a drug that can dissolve blood clots and reduce permanent disability in patients experiencing strokes caused by clots. Doctors at Fawcett participated in early clinical trials of t-PA, and other stroke-related drugs.

Fawcett’s team approach extends beyond the medical center’s walls to include Charlotte County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. “Charlotte County Fire/EMS working with FMH’s emergency department and entire stroke team, ensures that life-saving measures are provided to patients at the scene in the first few minutes of a stroke,” said Fire Chief Dennis R. DiDio.

The Fawcett Stroke Center provides comprehensive approaches to treating and preventing the nation’s third-leading cause of death. State-of-the-art imaging techniques enable earlier, more precise diagnosis. A stroke team is available at Fawcett 24 hours a day through our Emergency Care Center. Fawcett doctors conduct innovative research at the hospital and have lead the way in educating paramedics, nurses and other healthcare professionals in stroke assessment and intervention.

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