What you need to know
Hackensack University Medical Center has earned Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) certification from The Joint Commission, a national healthcare accreditation organization.
Hackensack is the ninth hospital in New Jersey — and one of fewer than 200 hospitals in the United States — to earn the CSC certification, joining JFK Medical Center and Jersey Shore University Medical Center as the third CSC-certified facility in the Hackensack Meridian Health network.
The CSC certification — which is awarded in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association — is the highest level of certification for hospitals with specific abilities to receive and treat the most complex stroke cases.
Before receiving its latest CSC certification, Hackensack University Medical Center was certified by The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center. Primary Stroke Center certification means that a facility is equipped to provide advanced stroke care, including administering tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a “clot-busting” medication.
More details about Hackensack's CSC certification
Hackensack University Medical Center achieved its upgraded CSC certification status as a result of interdisciplinary program enhancements, including:
- The ability to treat both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, including brain aneurysms
- Offering the most complex neurosurgical procedures, including intra-arterial stroke treatment procedures, such as thrombectomies to remove blood clots
- Establishing a dedicated Neurocritical Care Unit that provides specialized post-stroke care
To earn its CSC designation, Hackensack University Medical Center’s stroke care team was required to collect and report data showing that the hospital met or exceeded standardized performance measures. In addition to collecting and reporting data to The Joint Commission, Hackensack University Medical Center also was required to establish a performance improvement program that promotes ongoing analysis of patient outcome data and allows for future stroke care innovations.