Maquoketa, Iowa — Jackson County Regional Health Center has earned the Skilled Nursing Facility Stroke Rehabilitation Certification offered by the American Heart Association®, a global force changing the future of health of all.
Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability in the U.S. and approximately 795,000 people each year experience a new or recurrent stroke, according to the Association’s 2024 statistical update. This certification provides a framework for evaluating skilled nursing facilities against rigorous science-based requirements for stroke rehabilitation, including program management, patient and caregiver education and support, care coordination, clinical management and quality improvement.
“When there are evidence-based processes during every phase of care, patients have the best opportunity for positive outcomes,” said Pamela Duncan, PhD, PT, FAPTA, FAHA, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association’s Skilled Nursing Facility Stroke Rehabilitation Certification Oversight Workgroup. “Participation in this certification benefits the patient and the facility by standardizing care, helping patients and their loved ones choose a facility that follows important best practices.”
This certification ensures stroke rehabilitation care is coordinated from pre-admission through working with the skilled nursing facility to discharge.
“Patients need high-quality care after experiencing a stroke that follows evidence-based guidelines, giving them the best chance at faster and more effective recovery,” said Julie Fenoglio, Chief Nursing Officer. ” At Jackson County Regional Health Center, we want to be trailblazers and continue to use innovative methods to give our patients recovering from stroke the best care. The American Heart Association has armed us with additional tools and recognized our success — it is an honor to have our processes and efforts recognized in this way.”
To be eligible for this certification, freestanding skilled nursing facilities or swing beds in critical access hospitals must be in the United States or a U.S. territory and implement a stroke rehabilitation program that uses a standardized method of delivering clinical care based on current evidence-based guidelines. Learn more about this certification and others at heart.org/CertifiedCare.
JCRHC colleagues proudly show the certificate recently received for Skilled Nursing Facility Stroke Rehabilitation Certification from the American Heart Association. Pictured with the certificate are Brittany McCormick, Physical Therapy & Wellness Manager; Haily Hoffman, Outcomes Coordinator; and Mark Ferguson, Physical Therapist.
