Stroke Program Celebrating No Deficiencies During Joint Commission Survey

Stroke Services at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center scored a “perfect 10” during its recent Joint Commission certification survey. At the end of the one-day event, the team received “no deficiencies” from the surveyor who visited the hospital in late March.

Utah Valley Regional became a certified stroke center by the Joint Commission in 2006 and has completed a recertification survey every two years since that time. It is the only certified stroke center south of Salt Lake County and one of four in the state.

During a re-certification survey, Stroke Services is evaluated against specific standards that cover five areas — program management, clinical care, supporting self-management, clinical information management and performance measurement. A surveyor does patient and chart tracers which could lead to any area that cares for a stroke patient including the Emergency Department, Interventional Radiology, CT Scan, the Intensive Care Unit, 3rd Floor and Rehabilitation.

Kevin Call, MD, co-medical director for Stroke Services with Dr. Carl Black, said going through a Joint Commission survey is an excellent way for the program to continue improving. Having a surveyor review the program and then find no deficiencies provides an independent testimony that the hospital is providing quality care to stroke patients.

“I'm really excited that Joint Commission recognized our ability to provide excellent care. Even though we received no deficiencies, we were able to identify ways to strengthen some weaknesses. Given our track record, I feel like we should only continue to get better,” said Dr. Call.

Completing such a successful survey is a testament to the hospital’s teamwork approach to care, said Dr. Call. “Everyone did a magnificent job, as always, and we owe a lot to each individual on the team. It was great to see everyone mobilize in preparation this visit and it speaks to the investment everyone in the hospital has in making sure we give the best service possible to every patient,” he says.