Schneck Medical Center recently earned the Advanced Disease-Specific Care Certification for Acute Stroke Ready Hospital from The Joint Commission and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

The certification recognizes hospitals equipped to treat stroke patients with timely, evidence-based care prior to transferring them to a primary or comprehensive stroke center.

According to a news release from the Seymour hospital, Schneck underwent a rigorous onsite review to assess its compliance with certification requirements, including a dedicated stroke-focused program; staffing by qualified medical professionals trained in stroke care; collaboration with local emergency management agencies; 24/7 ability to perform rapid diagnostic and laboratory testing; ability to administer intravenous clot-busting medications to eligible patients; and availability of telemedicine technology.

Amy Pettit, vice president of nursing services at Schneck, said the certification demonstrates Schneck’s commitment to providing a higher standard of service to stroke patients while also addressing the gap in access to acute stroke services.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart 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 a new or recurrent stroke each year.