SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – Regional West has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check Mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. The Gold Seal of Approval^® and the Heart-Check Mark represent symbols of quality from their respective organizations. 

During a rigorous onsite review in 2017, Joint Commission experts evaluated Regional West’s compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care, and performance improvement.

“This certification is the acknowledgment of the commitment Regional West Medical Center has made to evidence-based stroke care and prevention,” said Deb Serda, RN, BSN, MSN, Stroke Coordinator at Regional West Medical Center. “The certification provides us with the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide as well as to continually strive to advance our care even further.”

Regional West’s stroke program includes a highly skilled team of onsite emergency medicine physicians, tele-stroke consults with Denver’s HealthOne Swedish Medical Center neurologists, hospitalists, primary care physicians, a stroke coordinator, stroke committee and grand rounds.

“Teamwork across the spectrum to implement current practice guidelines at Regional West Medical Center has led to continued improvements in the care of our stroke patients,” Lisa Scheppers, MD, FACP, Chief Medical Officer, Regional West Health Services said.

Following diagnosis of a stroke, patients have access to a full spectrum of stroke care services at Regional West, including use of “clot-busting” medications, interventional radiology, neurosurgery, acute and outpatient rehabilitation, Home Care, and support groups. Regional West’s Acute Rehabilitation Unit is accredited as a certified Stroke Specialty Program by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). 

Stroke is the number four cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 providers, and over 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.