PBMC earns advanced certification as primary stroke center

Peconic Bay Medical Center awarded advanced certification
for primary stroke centers from The Joint Commission

The Joint Commission, in conjunction with The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, recently recognized Peconic Bay Medical Center with Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. Peconic Bay Medical Center is a New York State receiving stroke center and the only hospital on the East End, and one of only a few in Suffolk, to have this certification. Achievement of Primary Stroke Center Certification signifies an organization’s dedication to fostering better outcomes for patients. Peconic Bay Medical Center’s Primary Stroke Center Certification has demonstrated that their program meets critical elements of performance to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients.

Peconic Bay Medical Center underwent a rigorous on-site review in February 2014. A Joint Commission expert reviewed Peconic Bay Medical Center’s compliance with the requirements for The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification program as well as primary stroke center requirements, such as collecting Joint Commission core measure data and using it for performance improvement activities.

“In achieving Joint Commission advanced certification, Peconic Bay Medical Center has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its stroke patients,” says Jean Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q. Executive Director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. “Certification is a voluntary process and The Joint Commission commends Peconic Bay Medical Center for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”

Developed in collaboration with the American Stroke Association and launched in 2003, The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification program is based on the Brain Attack Coalition’s “Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers.” Certification is available only to stroke programs in Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals.

“Peconic Bay Medical Center is thoroughly committed to providing our patients with the highest quality stroke care centered on current scientific research to ensure continued improvement in treatment,” said Denise Misiewicz, RN, BSN,CSHA Director of Accreditation. “In addition to our The Joint Commission accreditation, the Advanced Primary Stroke Center Certification has given us the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide for our patients, and help us improve care overall for our community.”

Peconic Bay Medical Center will be able to display The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association Heart-Check mark for their Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. Displaying the Seal and Heart-Check mark signifies that Peconic Bay Medical Center is providing the “next generation of stroke care,” and will help patients easily identify this facility as one of quality that has surpassed numerous goals in the treatment of stroke.

For more information on Peconic Bay Medical Center visit pbmchealth.org. For more information on The Joint Commission and American Heart Association’s Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Center visit http://www.jointcommission.org/ or www.heart.org/myhospital.

About PBMC Health
PBMC Health is a comprehensive continuum of care focused on serving the full range of health and wellness needs of the people of Suffolk County. The continuum includes Peconic Bay Medical Center, located in Riverhead; Peconic Bay Home Health Services, serving all of Suffolk County; Peconic Bay Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation, located in Riverhead; Peconic Bay Outpatient Physical Therapy, located in Riverhead; Peconic Bay Primary & Family Care Practices, with offices in Mattituck, Hampton Bays, Center Moriches, Riverhead and Westhampton Beach; and The Gertrude and Louis Feil Campus for Ambulatory Care in Manorville. For more information, visit PBMCHealth.org

About Peconic Bay Medical Center
Peconic Bay Medical Center is a non-profit medical facility committed to providing exceptional care and improving the health of the communities it serves. Peconic Bay Medical Center offers wide ranging, full-scope services and programs along with state-of-the-art technology. The award-winning Kanas Center for Advanced Surgery is home to the da Vinci Surgical Robotics Program. PBMC is a Bariatric Center of Excellence, a designated Stroke Center, and recipient of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke Bronze Quality Achievement Award. In addition to being the recipient of the Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval for Total Joint Replacement for Hip and Knee, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Plus Center for Hip and Knee Replacement, and the Aetna
Institute of Quality® for Total Joint Replacement, PBMC has also earned a 5-Star Rating from U.S. News & World Report for Skilled Nursing Facility, which was named one of the nation’s highest quality nursing homes. As a major clinical campus for the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, PBMC hosts graduate medical education programs in Family Medicine and Traditional Internship. Peconic Bay Medical Center is a member of the East End Health Alliance and affiliated with Stony Brook University Hospital. For more information, visit PBMCHealth.org

About The Joint Commission:
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 20,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 10,600 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,600 other health care organizations that provide long term care, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also certifies more than 2,400 disease-specific care programs such as stroke, heart failure, joint replacement and stroke rehabilitation, and 400 health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.

About the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association:
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.

Source: Press release from Peconic Bay Medical Center, issued April 14, 2014