AHN Grove City Hospital Named a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission

Grove City, Pa. - Allegheny Health Network's (AHN) Grove City Hospital has achieved certification as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission. This certification designates AHN Grove City as a specialized referral center equipped to provide evidence based care for stroke patients.

Following a rigorous, voluntary on-site review, AHN Grove City received The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for Primary Stroke Certification. This certification validates the hospital's compliance with stroke-related care standards and its ability to provide life-saving treatments that can minimize brain injury and improve patient outcomes.

The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

"As part of our commitment to ensuring our patients have the best possible outcomes, we've carefully shaped our stroke program to facilitate expeditious, highly effective treatments," said Christopher Clark, DO, MHA, president of AHN Grove City. "The moment a patient arrives with signs of a stroke, our focused care teams are prepared and ready to deliver rapid interventions that minimize harm and support an optimal recovery."

AHN Grove City is the seventh AHN hospital to earn Joint Commission-certification as a Primary Stroke Center, joining Canonsburg, Wexford, Allegheny Valley, Forbes, Jefferson and West Penn hospitals in the Pittsburgh area and AHN Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie.

For the most complex stroke cases, AHN Allegheny General Hospital's Joint Commission Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center serves as the network's stroke care hub.

Stroke is a serious medical emergency in which blood flow to the brain is interrupted due to a blocked brain vessel (ischemic stroke) or a burst blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in the U.S. and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability, affecting nearly 800,000 people annually.

Stroke outcomes are critically linked to the timeliness and nature of post-event treatment. When emergency treatment to restore blood flow to the brain begins quickly, patients have significantly greater chances of survival.

Common symptoms of stroke include a drooping face and arm weakness, particularly on one side of the body, along with slurred speech and difficulty seeing. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity and diabetes are leading causes of stroke.

AHN Grove City's acute, multidisciplinary stroke team, which works in tandem with the network's leading Neuroscience Institute, is comprised of physical, occupational and speech therapists, case managers/social workers, stroke navigators, neurologists, emergency medicine physicians and a dedicated stroke-certified nursing staff.

Located in in Mercer County, AHN Grove City is a 67-bed acute-care facility. The hospital maintains the only trauma center between Pittsburgh and Erie, and is one of 13 Level IV centers in Pennsylvania.

To learn more about AHN stroke care and how to reduce your risk of stroke, visit https://www.ahn.org/stroke.

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