Primary Stroke Center and Advanced Certification in Heart Failure Programs

The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association are pleased to announce that we have enhanced our existing strategic alliance with The Joint Commission in order to benefit Primary Stroke Centers and Advanced Certification in Heart Failure programs.

The enhanced alliance combines the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s scientific expertise with The Joint Commission’s expertise in evaluating the quality and safety of health care organizations. By enhancing this alliance, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and The Joint Commission are responding to current and future customer demands by providing a powerful package of services including a more comprehensive set of tools that will help enhance the quality of care for stroke and heart failure patients.

The tools and enhancements that will be available to hospitals include:

· Virtual networking capabilities
· Trend reports
· Future integration of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines and The Joint Commission’s Certification Measure Information Process (CMIP) measurement system.
· Future clearinghouse of clinical tools and best practices

Additionally, beginning February 1, 2012, certified Primary Stroke Centers and Advanced Certification in Heart Failure programs will be able to use designated seals from The Joint Commission and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association to signify that they are providing the “next generation of stroke or heart failure care.”

The new American Heart Association/American Stroke Association certification mark shown below may be used only by hospitals participating in AHA/ASA hospital certification and accreditation programs. Stroke and heart failure patients will easily be able to recognize the hospitals that provide state-of-the-art stroke and heart failure care.