Mark of Distinction
June 8, 2010
National organization names Calgary Stroke Program one of country’s best
It’s official: Calgary has one of the best stroke programs in the country.
The Calgary Stroke Program is one of the first two services in Canada to earn the Stroke Services Distinction from Accreditation Canada, a not-for-profit, independent organization that provides health care organizations with an external peer review process to assess and improve the services they provide to patients.
Stroke Services Distinction is awarded to health organizations that meet or exceed the best standards of stroke care. Toronto Rehabilitation Institute also received the distinction at a June 8 meeting of the Canadian Stroke Congress.
“This is a wonderful recognition of our work and the quality improvement efforts that we have been undertaking over the past decade," says Dr. Michael Hill, director of the stroke unit at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, associate professor in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary and a member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute.
“This is an important milestone for stroke care in Canada. An accreditation process that is driven by meeting and exceeding standards of care will push all centres in Canada towards improvements in stroke care for all Canadians,” he says.
The Calgary Stroke Program was accredited for acute care, preventative care and rehabilitation care, becoming the first stroke program in Canada to be recognized for integrated stroke care.
Based out of the Foothills Medical Centre, the Calgary Stroke Program works closely with emergency medical services (EMS), home care, rural, and rehabilitation partners, including the neuro rehabilitation unit at the Dr. Vernon Fanning Centre and the Community Accessible Rehabilitation (CAR) program.
About 5,500 people have a stroke every year in Alberta. The Foothills Medical Centre is one of two comprehensive stroke centres in the province, providing stroke expertise and resources to facilities in the south half of the province, as part of Alberta Provincial Stroke Strategy.
Michael Suddes, manager of the Calgary Stroke Program, says the accreditation process helped the program find ways to improve access to current rehabilitation services.
“This will lead to quicker access and help people receive their rehabilitation not just at the right time but in the right place,” he says.
Stroke Services Distinction is the first disease-specific accreditation program in Canada. It was developed by Accreditation Canada and the Canadian Stroke Network to recognize leadership, clinical excellence and innovation in stroke care.
"We are honoured the Calgary Stroke Program is one of the first programs in Canada to achieve Stroke Services Distinction from Accreditation Canada," says Dr. Chris Eagle, executive vice- president of Quality & Service Improvement for Alberta Health Services.
The award highlights the effective partnerships, teamwork and integration that occurs across a system of care for stroke patients and families. The momentum of improvements in stroke care will continue and we will work to have successes shared across the province.”
Stroke Services Designation remains valid for two years.
