Raritan Bay Medical Center Awarded Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers

Twelve Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals now hold advanced certification for stroke care

Press Release 2/12/18

PERTH AMBOY – Hackensack Meridian Health Raritan Bay Medical Center-Old Bridge and Raritan Bay Medical Center-Perth Amboy have earned 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.

Raritan Bay-Old Bridge and Raritan Bay-Perth Amboy underwent a rigorous onsite review in 2017. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement.

“Raritan Bay Medical Center has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of stroke patients through its Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “We commend Raritan Bay for becoming a leader in stroke care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for stroke patients in its community.”

“We are pleased to receive advanced certification from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,” said Medical Director of Raritan Bay Medical Center’s Stroke Center Eric Uhrik, D.O.  “The certification provides us with the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide as well as to continually strive to advance our care even further.” With Raritan Bay-Old Bridge and Raritan Bay-Perth Amboy’s accreditation, twelve Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals now hold advanced certification for stroke care.

“We congratulate Raritan Bay Medical Center-Old Bridge and Raritan Bay-Perth Amboy for achieving this designation,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “By adhering to this very specific set of treatment guidelines Raritan Bay has clearly made it a priority to deliver high quality care to all patients affected by stroke.”

Established in 2003, Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers is awarded for a two-year period to Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals. The certification was derived from the Brain Attack Coalition’s “Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers” (JAMA, 2000) and the “Revised and Updated Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers” (Stroke, 2011).

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.