AVMC awarded the Advanced Stroke Program Accreditation from The Joint Commission

(November 16, 2021, Lancaster, CA) – Antelope Valley Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® for the Advanced Stroke Program Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.

Antelope Valley Medical Center underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review on September 9, 2021. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with the Stroke program standards spanning several areas including: Clinical Information Management (DSCT), Performance Management (DSPM), Program Management (DSPR), Supporting Self-Management (DSSE), Certification Participation Requirements (CPR), and Delivery of Facilitating Clinical Care (DSDF).

The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help health care organizations measure, assess and improve performance. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“As a private accreditor, The Joint Commission surveys health care organizations to protect the public by identifying deficiencies in care and working with those organizations to correct them as quickly and sustainably as possible,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Antelope Valley Medical Center for its continuous quality improvement efforts in patient safety and quality of care.”

“Antelope Valley Medical Center is honored to be recognized for the hard work, and the continuous strides our team take to improve the Stroke program,” said Edward Mirzabegian, CEO of Antelope Valley Medical Center. “Earlier this year, we welcomed the AV’s only Interventional Neurologist to perform a new Thrombectomy (clot retrieval) procedure; this is just one of many examples of our commitment to our patients, as we will continue to bring innovative and advanced healthcare options to the AV.”

The stroke team worked collaboratively with stroke designated units including: Education, Emergency, Critical Care, 5-Tower and the Cath-lab/HVA Departments, all work together to ensure staff caring for stroke receives the required annual stroke education. Policies, protocols, order sets, and patient education are reviewed annually prior to the stroke re-certification. The Clinical Coordinator, Clinical Data Abstractor and Data Abstractor complete a concurrent and retrospective review of all stroke patients on the data base, so AVMC can provide data pertinent to the stroke program during the survey.

“The Joint Commission certification of the stroke program at Antelope Valley Medical Center recognizes the high standards that the hospital and its staff have set for providing stroke care, and continues its tradition of being a part of an elite group of hospitals, which are able to provide complex stroke care,” said Hisham Salahuddin, MD, Interventional Neurologist, Antelope Valley Medical Center. “I am proud to be a part of a team providing such efficient and quality care for our community.”

For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website.