Q: Why does certification as a comprehensive stroke center matter?
A: Because your life matters.
Very few hospitals in the Northwest are equipped to handle every type of stroke, in every situation, every second of the day. But Virginia Mason is. This is vitally important because when it comes to stroke, every second counts.
To survive a stroke — and to prevent or minimize long-term disabilities — it is vital to get the best possible treatment in the fastest possible time.
Virginia Mason is certified as a comprehensive stroke center by the international accredited registrar and classification society DNV-GL. Certification involves a rigorous assessment process that examines how well an organization meets strict standards and clinical best practices.
Experts staffing our comprehensive stroke center include:
- Interventional radiologists
- Endovascular neurosurgeons
- Neuro-interventional radiologists
- Neurologists
- Intensive care physicians
- Emergency department physicians
- Critical care nurses
- Respiratory therapists
- Physical, occupational and speech therapists
Our endovascular lab is equipped with tools for breaking up and removing large blood clots that cause severe strokes. The results have been remarkable, especially for people who receive rapid stroke treatment. That’s why having experts available around the clock is so important.
Stroke Care for Every Individual
Virginia Mason is not the largest stroke care center in the state. That works better for our patients. Our stroke center is able to provide a 1:1 care level for acute stroke patients that is simply not possible in higher volume facilities.
While most hospitals review their patient data after discharge to make sure appropriate care was provided, Virginia Mason does this monitoring in real time — while the patient is still in the hospital. At Virginia Mason, we continually compare our quality with other comprehensive stroke centers to ensure that we are a leader in stroke care.
Our care continues after a patient leaves the hospital. We have physicians who specialize in caring for stroke patients after their discharge from the hospital. And our stroke support group connects stroke survivors and their caregivers with others recovering from a stroke. It also offers key information about managing daily activities.
Being a certificated stroke center requires an extraordinary commitment to providing appropriate resources and expert staff seven days a week, 24 hours a day. At Virginia Mason, we believe our patients are worth it.