Women's Hospital First in State to Earn Acute Stroke Certification

OMAHA – Individuals experiencing stroke-like symptoms in the west Omaha area will now have faster access to treatment, thanks to Methodist Women’s Hospital.  This week Methodist Women’s Hospital became the first Acute Stroke Ready Hospital in Nebraska certified by the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

The certification recognizes that Methodist Women’s Hospital is equipped to treat stroke patients, with timely, evidence-based care prior to transferring them to a Primary or Comprehensive Stroke Center.

 “I am extremely proud of our emergency department team for the work they completed and protocols that were established to earn this certification,” said Sue Korth, Methodist Women’s Hospital, vice president and chief operating officer. “Time is of the essence when treating a stroke. To provide EMS with another option for stroke care is significant for our community, especially our residents out west. That’s why this stroke certification for Methodist Women’s Hospital is so important.”

Being an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital means patients who come to Methodist Women’s Hospital have the assurance they will be getting rapid identification of stroke symptoms, and if applicable, provided with intravenous clot-busting medications before transferring to Methodist Hospital or Nebraska Medicine, both of which are Primary Stroke Centers.

Methodist Hospital received its first Primary Stroke Center designation in 2013. As a Primary Stroke Center, Methodist has an acute stroke process in the Emergency Department with protocols that allow the medical team to get imaging and labs quickly so decisions on the patient’s needs can be expedited. All these factors result in better outcomes for patients.

“Treatment for acute stroke is time sensitive, the sooner the patient can get medical attention, the better chance of recovery,” said Pam Stout, Methodist stroke program coordinator. “To have another Methodist location available to patients is so important. Minutes matter when it comes to stroke care. We are giving more patients an even better chance of survival.”

Established in 2015, Acute Stroke Ready Hospital Certification is awarded for a two-year period to Joint Commission-accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals.

Stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.