Westerly Hospital recertified from The Joint Commission for its Acute Stroke Ready Hospital program

Westerly, RI (August 8, 2023) – Westerly has been re-certified by The Joint Commission for its Acute Stroke Ready Hospital program, a validation that patients presenting with stroke symptoms will be treated quickly and safely to prevent brain loss.

The Acute Stroke Ready Hospital (ASRH) certification was developed in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. These hospitals become part of a larger stroke system of care in which the hospital is equipped to evaluate, stabilize and provide emergency care to patients with acute stroke symptoms. Westerly was first certified in 2019 after implementing Yale New Haven Health’s Telestroke program which provides 24/7 communication with stroke-trained neurologists.

Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of adult disability, reports the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, which estimates that someone dies of a stroke every four minutes. A stroke occurs when a clot or a rupture prevents blood flow to the brain.

Offered in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association achieving Acute Stroke Ready Hospital (ASRH) Certification means Westerly Hospital is dedicated to providing stroke care to the community. The patient-centric approach is better for patients, their families and the hospital’s stroke program.

“This recertification reflects the commitment of our employees and medical staff to provide the greatest of care to our patients,” said Richard Lisitano, president, Westerly Hospital. “Being a member of the Yale New Haven Health Stroke Network our Stroke team has adopted a comprehensive set of evidence-based care guidelines and performance measures that leads to better outcomes for our patients. Being able to offer this level of care in Westerly further demonstrates that delivering high-quality health care to our patients is our number one priority.”

By collaborating with EMS, a Yale School of Medicine Telestroke neurologist, ED providers, nurses, Radiology, Lab and Pharmacy, patients received timely coordinated care from the time of arrival at the hospital. In addition, engagement and sharing of best practices allows the hospital to continually improve its stroke care program to meet the needs of a continually changing health care environment.

“For a small community hospital like Westerly, Acute Stroke Ready Hospital certification means that our patients can be certain they will receive the greatest of care during a very time-sensitive emergency,” said Lisa Bedard, APRN, stroke program manager.

Westerly Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a 125-bed hospital that has been providing residents of southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut with a full range of inpatient and outpatient services in a community hospital setting for more than 90 years. Westerly Hospital patients receive the finest quality treatment in the following areas of care: emergency, medical, surgical, radiology, laboratory and rehabilitative services. The hospital also offers heart and vascular care, interventional pain management, wound care, pulmonary rehabilitation services, inpatient geriatric psychiatric care and comprehensive cancer care provided through the Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center. All inpatient rooms are private. westerlyhospital.org