GRMC receives Acute Stroke Ready Hospital recertification by The Joint Commission

OAKLAND, Md. – Garrett Regional Medical Center has received recertification as an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital (ASRH) by The Joint Commission. The Joint Commission Advanced Certification for Acute Stroke Ready Hospitals is offered in collaboration with the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.

Garrett Regional Medical Center underwent a successful onsite surveyor review by The Joint Commission. Organizations seeking certification are required to adopt a set of standardized performance measures and collect monthly data for each set of measures. All data is submitted quarterly to The Joint Commission for review.

“Achieving Acute Stroke Ready Hospital recertification recognizes our commitment to striving for excellence and fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care at GRMC,” stated Kendra Thayer, Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Officer for GRMC and Potomac Valley Hospital. “This type of certification is designed to strengthen confidence among our community in receiving stroke care provided at GRMC.”

GRMC formed a comprehensive stroke committee – Robert Goralski MD, Marissa Mullenax Stroke Coordinator, Potomac Valley Hospital; Lance Rhodes, Manager Pharmacy, GRMC; Kathy Beck, Director of Risk Management, GRMC; Kelly Kooser, Manager Nursing Medical Surgical, GRMC, and Kim Gordon, Director of Nursing & Regulatory Coordinator, GRMC - to help lead the hospital’s acute stroke program.

“Our core stroke committee at GRMC has done an outstanding job to make recertification possible,” added Thayer. “We appreciate all our patient care staff for caring for our patients like family.”

ASRH certification is designed to strengthen community confidence in the quality and safety of care, treatment, and services in stroke patients. Organizations receiving this designation for excellence in the care also demonstrate commitment to a higher standard of clinical service.

For more information on Garrett Regional Medical Center, visit wvumedicine.org/Garrett.

From left to right are: Danette Tasker, Computed Tomography Technologist, GRMC; Kimberly Gordon, Director of Nursing, GRMC; Marrisa Mullenax, Stroke Coordinator, Potomac Valley Hospital; and Kathryn Beck, Director of Risk Management, GRMC.