News at UI Health

UI Health has again received a top stroke care designation from The Joint Commission.

The Stroke Program recently was recertified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) — the highest level of certification for Joint Commission-accredited hospitals.

Medical centers that achieve CSC status have significant resources in hospital infrastructure, staff, and training to provide state-of-the-art care to all stroke patients. The advanced certification was developed in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) and launched in 2012.

UI Health first achieved Comprehensive Stroke Center certification in 2015.

“We are proud to be recertified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission,” said Dr. Robert Barish, vice chancellor for health affairs at UI Health and interim CEO of the University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics. “Across Chicagoland and the state, UI Health is known for treating the most complex stroke cases. By continuing to meet the most advanced requirements for stroke care, we bolster our reputation as one of the region’s top destinations for stroke care.”

CSC status signifies that institutions meet the most advanced requirements for stroke care, including diagnostic testing capability, neurosurgical services, and clinical performance measures. As a CSC, UI Health has an Acute Stroke Team and dedicated neuro intensive care beds available 24/7 to care for stroke patients.

“Stroke is a condition where time is critical,” said Dr. Fernando Testai, medical director of the UI Health Stroke Institute. “At UI Health, are committed to providing the highest level of care 24/7. We are extremely proud of this achievement, which was made possible by the dedication of the specialists across several disciplines who care for our stroke patients.”

The Joint Commission performed a two-day on-site performance evaluation in July, and UI Health was notified of its recertification in late September.