Methodist Hospital Earns Comprehensive Stroke Center Designation

Arcadia, California (Aug. 2, 2018) –USC Arcadia Hospital of Southern California this week received a Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification from independent rating agency DNV GL, which ensures that USC Arcadia Hospital will continue to be part of the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services (LAC/EMS) network of approved stroke centers countywide.

“We are so proud of our hospital stroke team for their tremendous efforts to acquire this certification,” said Hospital President and CEO Dan Ausman. “This is a new milestone in our pursuit of excellence in stroke care and one that took an incredible amount of time and coordination.”

LAC/EMS is preparing to enact more stringent requirements for stroke centers in early 2019 and with this new certification, USC Arcadia Hospital now meets these requirements as a result of completing a program survey with DNV GL, which is an independent rating agency known for providing certification services to a variety of organizations across the country. USC Arcadia Hospital is currently designated by EMS as one of 18 comprehensive stroke centers in LA County.

“USC Arcadia Hospital is an excellent resource for stroke care and will continue to provide early intervention with stroke patients who come to our Emergency Department for care,” said Alisa Rock, Director of Cardiovascular Service Line and Clinical Research, who oversees the hospital stroke program.

EMS currently transports patients meeting certain criteria to approved stroke care facilities in LA County when the transport time is projected to be 30 minutes or less. If the transport time is projected to be greater than 30 minutes, EMS will transport these patients to the nearest primary stroke center.

The hospital stroke program was recently recognized once again for providing excellent care with the Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association. This means that USC Arcadia Hospital has met stringent AHA guidelines to improve quality of patient care and outcomes for stroke patients.

“There are many examples of lives saved and lives improved because of the stellar care our stroke team provides,” Rock said. “We appreciate the exceptional services our team delivers to our stroke patients each and every day.”

About USC Arcadia Hospital: Founded in 1903, USC Arcadia Hospital is a full-service community hospital with 348 licensed beds. The hospital offers advanced cardiovascular services including cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology, and open heart surgery. Los Angeles County has designated USC Arcadia Hospital as both a heart attack and stroke receiving center as well an Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics. The hospital also offers a variety of services in orthopedics, neurosurgery, obstetrics, and many other medical specialties. More than 50,000 patients are treated annually in the Emergency Department, while the hospital typically has more than 16,000 patient admissions each year.

The USC Arcadia Hospital Stroke Program was honored in July with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines -Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes our hospital’s commitment to providing the most appropriate stroke treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

Media Contact: Brian Greene, 626-354-1484
Brian.Greene@methodisthospital.org