BMH Receives Stroke Program Certification from Joint Commission; Joins Elite Few

May 21, 2008 - (BUTLER, PA) - Butler Memorial Hospital has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers. BMH earned this distinction after the Joint Commission conducted an unannounced on-site review in April. BMH is now the only Certified Primary Stroke Center between Pittsburgh and Erie.

"Butler Memorial Hospital demonstrated that its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients," says Jean E. Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., Executive Director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission.

The only other area hospitals with this distinction include UPMC Presbyterian, Allegheny General Hospital and Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh and Hamot Medical Center and St. Vincent in Erie.

"We're proud to achieve the distinction," says Ken DeFurio, President and CEO of Butler Health System. "Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center Certification recognizes our commitment to providing outstanding care to our patients and our community."

Each year about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, the nation's third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 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.

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/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.jointcommission.org.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more then 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care and laboratory and ambulatory care services. In addition, the Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

Butler Health System is an independent, community-based system providing multiple facets of health care. Our system centers around Butler Memorial Hospital, a 234-bed acute care hospital, founded in 1898, that has been named one of the top 100 hospitals in America by Solucient for two years in a row.

On the hospital campus, BMH offers top-notch open heart surgery in the award-winning HeartCenter of BMH. A comprehensive Women's Center offers mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, bone density testing, maternity services, women's surgery and educational classes designed just for women. In addition, BMH offers physical rehabilitation programs in two locations, a Center for Sleep Disorders, full-service lab and radiology testing and much more. Butler Memorial Hospital is concerned about more than just physical health. There is a team of professionals trained to address behavioral health both on the BMH campus as well as several off-site locations. No system of care would be complete without the family doctor. Butler Health System provides primary physician care through Butler Medical Associates with offices in Butler, Chicora, Cranberry Township and Sarver. Butler Medical Providers also offers specialists in endocrinology, infectious disease and surgery. In addition, there are many highly skilled physicians affiliated with BMH including those that work as general practitioners and those that specialize in many medical disciplines. Butler Health System also offers off-site outpatient lab and x-ray services through Outpatient Services of BMH in several locations around the county.