Category Archives: OhioHealth Riverside

Columbus, OH – OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital is the first hospital in Ohio to achieve a first-class designation as a Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Riverside Methodist has been recognized by The Joint Commission as meeting The Joint Commission’s standards for Disease-Specific Care Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification, which means it is part of an elite group of providers in the nation focused on the most complex stroke care. Comprehensive Stroke Centers are recognized as industry leaders and are responsible for setting the national agenda in highly-specialized stroke care.

“It’s a great source of pride and a life-saving resource for our community, that Riverside Methodist is the first hospital in the state of Ohio to receive this designation and one of the first few in the country,” said Dr. Stephen Markovich, President of OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. “This new Joint Commission accreditation positions Riverside Methodist and OhioHealth as the premier stroke care program in the state.”

Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification recognizes those hospitals that have state-of-the-art infrastructure, staff and training to receive and treat patients with the most complex strokes. Riverside Methodist underwent a rigorous onsite review in October 2012. Joint Commission experts reviewed Riverside Methodist’s compliance with the Comprehensive Stroke Center standards and requirements including advanced imaging capabilities, 24/7 availability of specialized treatments, and staff with the unique education and competencies to care for complex stroke patients. In addition, only stroke centers that meet a designated volume for highly specialized stroke procedures are eligible to seek this differentiating designation.

“By achieving this advanced certification, Riverside Methodist has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of its patients with a complex stroke condition,” says Mark R. Chassin, M.D., FACP, M.P.P., M.P.H., president, The Joint Commission. “Certification is a voluntary process and The Joint Commission commends Riverside Methodist for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate the standard of its care for the community it serves.”

Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification was developed in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and derived from the Brain Attack Coalition’s ” Recommendations for Comprehensive Stroke Centers,” (Stroke, 2005), and “Metrics for Measuring Quality of Care in Comprehensive Stroke Centers,” (Stroke, 2011), and on recommendations from a multidisciplinary advisory panel of experts in complex stroke care.

“The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association congratulates Riverside Methodist on its Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification,” commented Mark J. Alberts, M.D., FAHA, American Heart Association/American Stroke Association spokesperson and incoming Vice-Chair of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Comprehensive Stroke Centers offer a high level of care for patients with the most severe and challenging types of strokes and cerebrovascular disease.”

“Riverside Methodist is thoroughly committed to providing our patients with the highest quality stroke care based on current scientific research to ensure continuous improvement in care,” said Connie Gallaher, System Vice President of Neuroscience for OhioHealth. “This Certification is yet another testament that we truly are the future of neuroscience – and shows the community and our patients our strong commitment to provide exceptional stroke care.”

This certification comes just as OhioHealth is constructing a patient tower at Riverside Methodist that will elevate neuroscience care for the region. “Today at Riverside, we already treat the most stroke patients in the state, and with this new patient tower, we’re creating a state-of-the-art facility focused on caring for neuroscience patients to better serve our community in this growing need,” said Markovich.

The new 224-bed patient tower will feature neuroscience treatments currently unavailable anywhere in the region, and will give OhioHealth the platform to continue to serve as one of the nation’s leading neuroscience centers.

The nine-story, 409,000 square foot tower will be the tallest building on the Riverside Methodist campus. The $321 million project is scheduled for completion in 2015.

For more information on The Joint Commission and American Heart Association’s Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Center visit http://www.jointcommission.org/ or www.heart.org/myhospital.

For more information on OhioHealth’s Stroke Program, visit ohiohealth.com/stroke.

About OhioHealth:

OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare organization serving and supported by the community. OhioHealth has also been recognized by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” six years in a row, 2007-2012.

Based in Columbus, Ohio, it is a family of 22,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, 17 hospitals, 21 health and surgery centers, home-health providers, medical equipment and health service suppliers throughout a 40-county area. OhioHealth member hospitals include Riverside Methodist Hospital, Grant Medical Center, Doctors Hospital-Columbus, Grady Memorial Hospital, Dublin Methodist Hospital, Doctors Hospital-Nelsonville, Hardin Memorial Hospital and Marion General Hospital. For more information, please visit our website at www.ohiohealth.com.

About The Joint Commission:

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 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 10,300 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,500 other health care organizations that provide long term care, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission currently certifies more than 2,000 disease-specific care programs, focused on the care of patients with chronic illnesses such as stroke, joint replacement, stroke rehabilitation, heart failure and many others. The Joint Commission also provides health care staffing services certification for more than 750 staffing offices. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.

News Release is available at:  https://www.ohiohealth.com/NewsArticles/RMH_Joint_Commission_Comprehensive_Stroke_Center/