John C. Lincoln Deer Valley Hospital in North Phoenix has become the Valley’s newest hospital certified as a Primary Stroke Center by DNV Healthcare, an international certifying agency approved by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to John Harrington Jr., hospital CEO and senior vice president, Scottsdale Lincoln Health Network.

John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital was accredited as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations in 2007 and by DNV Healthcare in 2011.

“Deer Valley Hospital demonstrated that its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients,” said Chief Medical Officer Mary Ann Turley, DO, Deer Valley Hospital, who led the stroke certification task force that started preparing the hospital for stroke certification last year.

“We received only one finding when the surveyors visited from DNV and awarded John C. Lincoln Deer Valley Hospital certification as a Primary Stroke Center,” Turley added. “I could not be more proud of our entire stroke certification team and hospital co-workers who all jumped at the opportunity to earn this recognition for our caregiving capability.”

Strokes are the third most prevalent cause of death, the leading cause of adult disability, and affect 700,000 Americans every year. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted by a blood clot (ischemic) or by bleeding from a burst blood vessel (hemorrhagic), either of which impairs the brain’s ability to function, but which require opposite treatments.

Because diagnosing the cause is key to ensuring appropriate and effective care, it’s important for patients and families to insist that EMS providers take them to a Primary Stroke Center, said Donna Sells, administrator for the Health Network’s Neurosciences/Orthopedic Service Line. “A Primary Stroke Center is where staff is trained not only to recognize symptoms of stroke, but more importantly, to correctly identify the cause,” she explained.
When people have strokes, time is of the essence. Rapid medical treatment – started less than 3 hours after onset of symptoms and completed within 45 minutes of the patients arrival at the hospital – can save many stroke patients from a lifetime of disability.
“Time loss equals brain loss,” said Sells. When stroke symptoms begin, people should call 9-1-1 without delay.

DNV Primary Stroke Center certification is based on submitted documentation and a site visit by DNV surveyors, during which the hospital staff demonstrates its commitment to excellence, Harrington said. DNV’s PSC Certification program incorporates elements from federal CMS hospital standards as well as requirements from the guidelines of the Brain Attack Coalition and recommendations of the American Stroke Association.

Members of the Deer Valley Stroke Team Include: Alice Montoya, RN, Nelson Faux, MD, Anil Goud, MD, Patrick Sciara, MD, Clark York, DO, Bonnie Fuerst, MT, Kevin Veale, DO, Patty Erickson, RN, Danny Blanco, RN, Lalit Mansukhani, PharmD, Peter Burrows, RT, Linda DeLuca, RN, Lawrence Finkel, MD, Renee Featherly, David Price, Linda Ott, RN, Donna Sells, RN, Karrie Smith, RN, Lisa Hughes, RN, Susan Hoffmeister, RN, Holly Grems, RN, Maria Soriano, MD, Tracy Moroney, RN, Jennifer Gallegos, MA, Mary Ann Turley, DO, Victor Zach, MD, Jessica Rivas, MSN, Matt Sainsbury, MHA, and Joanne Motley, RN.