St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital earns national certification for highest level of comprehensive stroke patient care

(San Antonio, TX)  ­­– St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital located in San Antonio’s medical center, has earned Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification from DNV — a global assurance and risk management accrediting organization -- recognizing the hospital with the highest level of competence for treatment of serious stroke events.

“With stroke care, you must have the best clinicians and resources, but also the ability to act organizationally with extreme efficiency because of the time-critical nature of these events,” said Vicki Gulczewski, St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital CEO. “This certification from DNV validates all the effort we have put into this program to help ensure the health and safety of our patients,” she said.

According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is a leading cause of death, killing nearly 130,000 people each year, and is a leading cause of serious, long-term adult disability. Because stroke or “brain attack” affects blood flow to the brain, rapid and effective treatment can save lives and provide the best chance of limiting the extent of long-term damage.

The DNV Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification is based on standards set forth by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association, and affirms that St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital addresses the full spectrum of stroke care – diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and education – and establishes clear metrics to evaluate outcomes.

“Achieving certification shows commitment to excellence,” said Kelly Proctor, President of DNV Healthcare USA Inc. “And it helps demonstrate to your community that you are performing at the highest level.”

Comprehensive stroke centers are typically the largest and best-equipped hospitals in a given geographical area that can treat any type of stroke or stroke complication. In a growing number of states, stroke center certification determines to which facility a patient should be taken for the most appropriate, reimbursable care.

For more information about Baptist Health System’s stoke care, visit https://www.baptisthealthsystem.com/services/neuroscience/stroke-treatment