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The Outer Banks Hospital (TOBH) announced that it has earned Advanced Disease-Specific Care Certification for Acute Stroke Ready Hospital from the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

TOBH reports it was the first hospital in this region to incorporate a 24/7 teleneurology program in 2014 to assist with stroke treatment. The hospital underwent an onsite review on January 13 to assess compliance with specific certification requirements.

“Currently, nearly half of the population in the United States live 60 miles or more away from a primary stroke center or comprehensive stroke center,” said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, American Stroke Association. “If patients who experience an acute ischemic stroke can get treated with clot-busting medications quickly, more lives would be saved and more patients would have improved outcomes.”

“We are proud of the team here that have worked tirelessly to achieve this certification,” said Ronnie Sloan, FACHE, president of TOBH. “It demonstrates a commitment to a higher standard of care and is further evidence that The Outer Banks Hospital is committed to serving this community and addressing the gap in access to acute stroke services.”

Stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Health 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 new or recurrent stroke each year.

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