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WINSTON-SALEM, September 15, 2006 - The Stroke and Neurovascular Center at Forsyth Medical Center (FMC) has received national re-certification from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. National certification is awarded only to healthcare facilities that demonstrate excellence in stroke care by meeting rigorous national standards and performance measurements established by the Joint Commission and the American Stroke Association.

"Re-certification is significant for our Stroke and Neurovascular Center because it means we continued to meet the highest national standards for providing care to our region's stroke victims," said Chere Chase, M.D., medical director of stroke and neurocritical care at Forsyth.

The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association's statements/guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the stroke certification program - the nation's first - in 2003. It is the only voluntary nationwide independent program designed to help improve the safety and quality of care provided to stroke victims. Forsyth Medical Center is one of eight organizations in North Carolina, and first in the state to achieve this certification.

"Primary Stroke Center Certification assures patients and families of our commitment to excellence in clinical quality and safety," says Paul Hammes, executive director of the Forsyth Cardiac and Vascular Center at Forsyth Medical Center. "We were evaluated on treatment protocols, medical technology, staff experience and program management and received zero citations, rare for a Joint Commission survey."

JCAHO, an independent, not-for-profit organization, is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other health care organizations that provide long-term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services.