Jonesboro, AR — (Contributed) — July 8, 2025 — St. Bernards Medical Center has earned a prestigious certification from the nation’s largest medical accrediting body, The Joint Commission, as an “Advanced Primary Stroke Center.”
This new certification, the Gold Seal of Approval, represents the highest recognition for St. Bernards to provide unique and specialized stroke care that fosters better health outcomes.
St. Bernards stroke medical director Ahmad Salameh, M.D., said certification starts with the team approach employed at the hospital.
“We craft a coordinated response the moment patients arrive or we receive word they are coming with stroke symptoms,” Dr. Salameh said. “Seconds matter in stroke care, but that care must also address each patient’s needs. Our teams here do both.”
According to CDC data, stroke (cerebrovascular disease) is the fourth-leading cause of death across the U.S. each year, with about one in five persons dying after suffering a stroke. Nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. will experience a stroke this year, with the medical emergency creating a leading cause of serious, long-term disability.
The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, recognizes that quick action by individuals, first responders and hospitals can help prevent lasting effects from death or stroke. In response, the organizations created the Primary Stroke Center Certification Program in 2003, encouraging and helping healthcare providers to follow best practices for stroke care.
Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of accreditation and certification operations for The Joint Commission, said the Advanced Primary Stroke Center Certification recognizes excellence and improvement in patient safety and quality of care.
“We commend St. Bernards for using The Joint Commission certification process to drive safer, higher quality and more compassionate care for individuals served,” Grubbs said.
To receive approval, St. Bernards underwent a rigorous, unannounced, onsite review on May 17, 2025. This review included more than 20 areas of focus, such as the Emergency Department’s response, imaging capabilities, the stroke unit and the ICU.
Nancy Brown, CEO for the American Stroke Association, called St. Bernards’ certification an outstanding achievement.
“This certification reflects St. Bernards’ commitment to providing the highest quality of care for stroke patients,” Brown said.
This year, the Arkansas Department of Health recognized St. Bernards Medical Center’s Emergency Department for a record-setting emergency stroke response time of 18 minutes. This recognition measured the time from patient arrival to completed CT imaging to administration of clot-busting medication, known as thrombolytic therapy.