Stroke care certification programs

Acute Stroke Ready (ASR) Certification

This certification allows smaller and rural hospitals to demonstrate excellence by complying with standards of care for the initial treatment of stroke patients, when rapid action and proper medications can save lives and limit the long-term disabling effects of strokes.

ASR facilities become part of a region's larger stroke system of care, in which the hospital is equipped to evaluate, stabilize and provide emergency care to patients with acute stroke symptoms.

An ASR hospital has the infrastructure and capability to care for acute stroke, including administration of intravenous thrombolytic therapy (also known as tissue plasminogen activator "tPA" or aleplase). An ASR has fewer overall capabilities than a Primary Stroke Center, but has staff and resources able to diagnose, stabilize, treat, and transfer most patients with stroke.

Most acute stroke patients may be transferred to a Primary Stroke Center or a Comprehensive Stroke Center that would provide ongoing care and/or endovascular procedures, as indicated, after initial treatment and stabilization.

Primary Stroke Center (PSC) Certification

This certification is for medium and larger capacity hospitals, which admit most patients treated in their facilities, and which, also, serve as receiving hospitals for patients treated in ASR facilities.

A Primary Stroke Center (PSC) has the necessary staffing, infrastructure and programs to stabilize and treat most emergent stroke patients. In addition to possessing the capabilities of an ASR facility, a PSC can provide treatment to a broader range of stroke conditions and is able to provide some acute therapies, as well as admit patients to a designated stroke unit or to beds, specifically assigned for stroke care.

Additional functions of a PSC may be to act as a resource center for other facilities in their region, including being a main transfer site for stabilized patients from an ASR. This can include offering guidance for triage of patients, providing expertise about managing particular cases, making diagnostic tests or treatments available to patients treated initially at an ASR, and being an educational resource for other hospitals and health care professionals in a city or region.

Primary Plus Stroke Center (PSC+) Certification 

This is our new level of stroke care for organizations, which meet the requirements of the primary stroke program and are fully thrombectomy capable, but cannot meet the Comprehensive Stroke requirements due to reasons such as volume requirements or capability to provide the full services as required. 

The PSC+ Program Certification includes all the requirements of the Primary Stroke Program (PSC) with the addition of the specific thrombectomy, medical staff and metric requirements that are in the comprehensive program. There is a guiding crosswalk of the metric requirements and Get With The Guidelines, designed to make the metric collection to be more in line with that system.

Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) Certification

This certification addresses hospitals with personnel, infrastructure, and expertise to diagnose and treat stroke patients, who require intensive medical and surgical care, specialized test or interventional therapies. A Comprehensive Stoke Center (CSC) delivers the highest quality of care to the most complex cases, offering evidence based treatments with cutting edge research protocols.

CSCs can treat patients, suffering hemorrhagic or large ischemic strokes, with follow up care in an intensive care unit. Other stroke incidents include patients with suspected aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, those with strokes from unusual etiologies or requiring specialized testing or therapies, such as endovascular surgery, and those requiring multispecialty management.

A CSC also functions as a resource center for other facilities in their area, offering guidance and consultation for triage of patients, providing expertise about managing particular cases, making diagnostic tests or treatments available to patients, treated initially at a PSC or an ASR facility, and being an educational resource for other hospitals.

Mobile Stroke Unit Certification (MSUC) 

A mobile stroke unit provides emergent neurological medical intervention to patients with identified stroke symptoms. Prehospital assessments, treatment protocols, and subsequent transfer to a certified stroke center is beneficial in the evaluation, treatment, and expediting of endovascular care of the acute stroke patient. The combination of emergency medical services, telemedicine, and mobile technology, including transportable computed tomography scanners, presents a unique opportunity to advance stroke care in the prehospital field by shortening time to hyperacute stroke treatment with a mobile stroke unit. 

Unlike traditional ambulances, mobile stroke units are specialized ambulances equipped with the personnel, medication, telecommunication equipment, and imaging capability to evaluate, diagnose and treat acute stroke in the prehospital setting. The MSUC program provides a comprehensive review of operations, quality, and analysis of care provided by the mobile stroke unit staff and program. Referencing published guidelines including the American Heart /American Stroke Association recommendations, the MSUC program provides comprehensive validation of the emergent delivery of stroke care.