By TARA JENNINGS
Ledger Staff Writer

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System has been awarded for its commitment to caring for stroke patients.

A first for healthcare providers in South Carolina, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System has been named a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the gold standard for measuring excellence in national care.

According to the Department of Health and Environmental Control, stroke is the third-leading cause of death in South Carolina, as well as in the Spartanburg area.

“This honor is a validation of the hard work our stroke team has been doing since the program began in 1995,” said Ingo Angermeier, SRHS President and CEO. “It’s no surprise to me that we are being rewarded for setting the standard for quality stroke care. We are grateful for this recognition of our efforts and will continue to raise our program to new heights.”

This award follows the naming of the accreditation of Spartanburg Regional’s Chest Pain Center by The Society of Chest Pain Centers, another first in South Carolina.

SRHS has created a Stroke Response Team which controls and monitors stroke victims.

“The team has to respond quickly to care for that person who is having a stroke. Time is of the essence,” said Debby Bridgeman, Stroke Health Management Specialist at SRHS. “The team’s quick response to assess a patient’s needs is just one facet of the SRHS program. Continued medical management, early rehabilitation and secondary prevention education is an important aspect of care. Education is critical to improve knowledge of awareness and prevention. Our goal is to provide information to the community so that people recognize the warning signs and seek medical attention immediately by calling EMS. With the proper education, many strokes can be prevented.”

A stroke may be occurring if the patient experiences a sudden weakness, blurred or double vision, difficulty speaking, loss of balance and dizziness accompanied by a headache, or numbness or paralysis, especially on one side of the body.

The commission’s certification program is based on the Recommendations for Primary Stroke Centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and American Stroke Association statements for stroke to evaluate hospitals functioning as primary stroke centers.

There are 101 certified stroke centers in the country.