AHN Wexford Hospital Named a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission

WEXFORD, Pa. – Marking yet another important milestone in its young history, Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) Wexford Hospital has achieved certification as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission. The certification means that AHN Wexford is now a referral center uniquely capable of caring for stroke patients.  

AHN Wexford received The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for Primary Stroke Certification, as well as the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark, following a voluntary and rigorous onsite review of the hospital’s compliance with stroke-related care standards and its capabilities for delivering lifesaving stroke treatments that can minimize brain injury and improve patient outcomes. The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

AHN Wexford Hospital is the fifth AHN hospital to earn Joint Commission-certification as a Primary Stroke Center, joining AHN Forbes, Jefferson and West Penn hospitals in the Pittsburgh area and AHN Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie. For the most complex stroke cases, AHN Allegheny General Hospital’s Joint Commissioned Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center serves as the network’s stroke care hub.

Stroke is a serious medical emergency in which blood flow to the brain is interrupted due to a blocked brain vessel (ischemic stroke) or a burst blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). It is the fifth-leading cause of death in the U.S. and is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability, affecting nearly 800,000 people annually. Outcomes from stroke depend in large part on how and when the patient is treated after the event occurs, with significantly greater chances of survival when emergency treatment to restore blood flow to the brain begins quickly.

“Wexford Hospital was designed to facilitate expeditious, highly effective treatments that provide patients with the best possible chance of recovering well from their illness or injury,” said Allan Klapper, MD, president, AHN Wexford. “From the second a patient suffering a possible stroke arrives at the emergency department, our care teams are prepared to make a swift diagnosis and provide rapid interventions that reduce the overall physical and psychological toll of the injury.”

Led by AHN stroke director and interventional neurologist Russell Cerejo, MD, Wexford Hospital’s acute, multidisciplinary stroke team is comprised of physical, occupational and speech therapists, case managers/social workers, stroke navigators, neurologists, emergency medicine physicians and a dedicated stroke-certified nursing staff.

“In the short amount of time since the hospital’s opening, care teams at AHN Wexford and the AHN Neuroscience Institute have worked diligently to extend AHN’s world-class stroke program to the residents of Wexford and the surrounding communities,” said Dr. Cerejo.

“We are so pleased to receive this Joint Commission certification which confirms the high level of care that stroke patients now have access to in their home community at Wexford Hospital.”

Located north of Pittsburgh in Pine Twp., AHN Wexford Hospital opened to patients in September 2021. The 160-bed hospital includes a 24-bed emergency department which boasts some of the shortest wait times nationally. For its efforts to provide patients seeking emergency care with an outstanding experience, the Wexford Hospital emergency department was recently recognized by Press Ganey with a 2022 Guardian of Excellence® Award in the patient experience category.

Dr. Cerejo says the common symptoms of stroke include a drooping face and arm weakness, particularly on one side of the body, along with slurred speech and difficulty seeing. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity and diabetes are leading causes of stroke. Also at higher risk are African Americans and people age 60 and older.

To learn more about AHN stroke care and how to reduce your risk of stroke, visit www.ahn.org/stroke.