Wayne Memorial Recertified as Primary Stroke Center

 (Honesdale, January 26, 2024)…Wayne Memorial Hospital is proud to announce that its certification as a Primary Stroke Center has been renewed for another three years by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) Healthcare, a hospital accreditation organization approved by both the Pennsylvania State Department of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. DNV directly addresses government regulatory requirements and can also provide guidance and best practices for clinical specialty organizations.

The re-certification follows a rigorous multi-disciplinary review by DNV, which included a two-day site visit to Wayne Memorial’s Emergency Department, Laboratory Services, Radiology Department, inpatient nursing units, rehabilitation services and other areas relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of stroke. Wayne Memorial has been a Certified Primary Stroke Center since 2014.

“This recertification validates all the efforts we have put in place to assure the best possible care for assessing and treating stroke patients in our community,” said Wayne Memorial CEO James Pettinato, BSN, MHSA, CCRN-K. “It’s a combination of the right equipment, personnel and training, as well as the ability to efficiently transfer patients in the rare instances they require treatment beyond our capabilities.”

Wayne Memorial’s stroke program includes a dedicated Acute Care Stroke Team, which can be activated within 15 minutes of a patient’s arrival, tele-stroke technology to connect with a board-certified neurologist via interactive video-conferencing in real time, and streamlined diagnostic procedures for stroke patients, including the ability to obtain and interpret a CT image of the brain within 45 minutes. Emergency Department physician staff, all board-certified in Emergency Medicine, are also authorized to administer TNK (tenecteplase), a clot-busting drug for ischemic stroke patients. It must be given within zero to 4.5 hours after the onset of symptoms.

“In addition to our training and expertise, our certification includes a focus on educating the community about stroke,” explained Michele Churney, BSN, MSN, RN, Outpatient Clinical Services Manager. Noting that a stroke or “brain attack” affects blood flow to the brain, Churney added, “it’s important that the community understand that the sooner a stroke patient seeks care and treatment, the greater the odds of decreasing or reversing the effects of the stroke. Time is brain. Time is of the essence—every second counts— when treating a stroke.”

Since the last stroke certification survey, Wayne Memorial Hospital has treated 243 ischemic stroke patients, 63 hemorrhagic stroke patients and 194 who suffered transient ischemic attacks or TIAs. When it first sought certification, Wayne Memorial also built and continues to maintain a helipad less than a mile from the hospital’s Emergency Department.

According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is a leading cause of death, killing nearly 130,000 people each year, and is a leading cause of serious, long-term adult disability.

DNV President Kelly Proctor noted that “achieving certification shows commitment to excellence and helps demonstrate to a community that their hospital is performing at the highest level.”   DNV’s National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations, based upon the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation assures compliance with CMS standards.

Photo, Wayne Memorial Emergency Department staff, front row, left to right: Nicole Bennett, RN; Anissa Carlew, LPN; Holly Sherwood, RN; Amanda Greer-Arthur, CRNP; Jaime Swanick, CRNP. Back row: Rich Whitelavich, paramedic; Julie Moran, RN; Rachel Kominski, RN; Michele Churney, BSN, MSN, RN/Manager Outpatient Clinical Services; Todd Holmes, MD/Director ED Medical Staff.