Baton Rouge General Awarded Chest Pain, Stroke Certification

BATON ROUGE, La. – Baton Rouge General (BRG) announced today that it was awarded certification for both its Chest Pain and Primary Stroke Center, reflecting a commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. Baton Rouge General is the only hospital in Baton Rouge with the Primary Stroke Certification, Chest Pain Certification and a Certified Cardiac Rehab Program.

The hospital again earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Primary Stroke Center Certification. After a rigorous on-site review visit, the certification was awarded for meeting the highest standards for the treatment of stroke patients, including speed of care and innovative procedures that prevent death and minimize brain damage.

“Stroke is the number four cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S,” said Dr. Johnny Jones, chief of emergency medicine at BRG. “Time is critical when someone is suffering a stroke, and immediate treatment at a Primary Stroke Center offers the best chance of survival and recovery.”

BRG was also awarded a Chest Pain Certification from The Joint Commission. The certification evaluates how organizations use clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportunities to improve care, as well as to educate and prepare patients and their caregivers for discharge.

For example, BRG has partnered with local ambulance services to begin patient evaluations upon initial contact. An EKG obtained in the field is transmitted straight from the ambulance to the hospital and immediately interpreted by a physician. If the patient meets the criteria for a heart attack, the cardiologist and heart lab team are immediately deployed. That way, upon arrival, the patient can be brought directly to the cardiac catheterization lab for treatment.

“For patients suffering a heart attack, appropriate treatment should be administered within 90 minutes for the best chance of survival, according to national guidelines,” Jones added. “Through our team’s identified best practice, our intervention times are well below the national standard, which vastly improves our patient outcomes.”

“Chest Pain Certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Baton Rouge General for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for chest pain patients.”

To learn more about BRG’s heart and vascular services, visit brgeneral.org/heart.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with over 600 licensed beds between three campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General is affiliated with several medical school programs, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter @BRGeneral and Instagram @batonrougegeneral.

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