Lake Regional Earning National Recognition Once Again For It’s Health & Heart Care

The Lake Regional Health System, once again, has earned national recognition for meeting rigorous care standards for patients suffering from strokes.

The hospital has renewed the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Primary Stroke Center Certification.

What it means, according to Lake Regional stroke program coordinator R.N. Nikki church, is that reviewers for the Joint Commission conducted onsite observations and interviews, visiting the E-R, the I-C-U and the Progressive Care Unit before the renewed designation.

Lake Regional also earned state-designation as a Level-2 Stoke Center

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Once again, Lake Regional Health System has earned national recognition for meeting rigorous care standards for stroke patients. The hospital has renewed The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Primary Stroke Center Certification.

“This prestigious recognition identifies Lake Regional as a stroke center that patients can trust,” said Nikki Church, R.N., Lake Regional stroke program coordinator. “The Joint Commission’s resources help us continually improve so we provide the best possible outcomes for our stroke patients.”

Lake Regional Health System underwent a rigorous onsite review on Nov. 12, 204. A team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated Lake Regional’s compliance with certification standards, including how quickly stroke patients see a doctor, receive a CT scan, receive lab work and receive clot-busting medication.

The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews, visiting the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit and Progressive Care Unit. Team members from Human Resources and Quality Management also participated in the review.

“The Joint Commission reviewers explored various areas of our stroke program to ensure we consistently meet The Joint Commission’s rigorous standards,” Church said.

Additional Recognitions

In addition to having The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Primary Stroke Center Certification, Lake Regional also has earned state-designation as a Level II Stroke Center. Plus, Lake Regional earned these American Heart Association/American Stroke Association awards in 2024:

·         Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award, for following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of stroke, leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

·         Target: Stroke℠ Honor Roll Elite award, for meeting criteria that reduces the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and their treatment with medication to break up clots and end the stroke.

·         Target: Type 2 Diabetes℠ Honor Roll award, for meeting quality measures with more than 90 percent compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”

·         Get With The Guidelines® – Rural Stroke Silver award. People who live in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than their urban counterparts and face a 30% increased risk for stroke mortality — a gap that has grown over the past two decades. This award recognizes Lake Regional for its efforts to optimize stroke care and eliminate health care outcome disparities.

Minutes Matter

Fast treatment can limit the damage from a stroke and provide a better chance of recovery. Door-to-needle time is the amount of time that passes between a patient arriving in the Emergency Department with a stroke and our care team delivering clot-busting medication. In 2024, Lake Regional’s median door-to-needle time was 32.1 minutes, well below the national benchmark of 60 minutes.

Lake Regional Health System is a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive health care services to residents and visitors throughout the mid-Missouri region. The hospital is a Level II Stroke Center, Level II STEMI (heart attack) Center and Level III Trauma Center. Lake Regional also provides a wide range of specialties, including cancer care, heart care, orthopedics and women’s health. Plus, Lake Regional operates primary care clinics, Express Care clinics, rehab therapy clinics, programs for home health and hospice, and retail pharmacies. To learn more, visit lakeregional.com.