Chattanooga, TN - After undergoing an on-site evaluation and demonstrating compliance with nationally developed standards for stroke care, Parkridge Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™ for certification as a Primary Stroke Center.

"In stroke care time is brain," says Jean E. Range, MS, RN, CPHQ, executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. "By achieving certification as a Primary Stroke Center, Parkridge Medical Center has proven that it has the ability to provide effective, timely care to stroke victims and can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients."

Each year about 795,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation's third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.

"Achieving this distinction from The Joint Commission underscores our commitment to providing the best possible care to patients in our community," says Tom Ozburn, FACHE, president and CEO of Parkridge Health System. "We are tremendously proud of our physicians and staff, who have worked tirelessly to earn this certification and elevate the level of healthcare we provide."

The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association's statements and guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program--the nation's first--in 2003. A list of programs certified by The Joint Commission is available at www.qualitycheck.org.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.