Mountain View, CA - March 6, 2013 - El Camino Hospital today announced that its Los Gatos campus has been recognized as a Primary Stroke Center and designated as a stroke receiving center by Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services (SCC EMS).
"Time is of the essence when treating strokes as every second that a patient goes without care is another second that the brain goes without adequate blood flow. This increases the chance of permanent damage or even death," said Peter Fung, medical director of the Stroke Program at both El Camino Hospital campuses. "El Camino Hospital's designation by Santa Clara County EMS will help ensure that precious time is not lost for stroke patients, and is yet another way that the hospital is providing the community with quality care."
To receive the Stroke Receiving Center designation, El Camino Hospital Los Gatos met more than 15 separate criteria in six different categories, including 24/7 stroke diagnosis and treatment, the presence of clinical performance capabilities consistent with Joint Commission primary stroke centers, internal protocols to assure reliable notification to ambulance drivers and emergency medical technicians who work with the patient before they get to the hospital, and staff and equipment capable of performing rapid evaluation and treatment including timely evaluation of brain imaging, among many others.
"The designation of the Los Gatos campus will help bring treatment closer to individuals who might suffer a stroke and help increase that patient's chances of getting proper care," said Michael Petrie, Santa Clara County EMS Director. "We welcome El Camino Hospital Los Gatos to our group of 10 designated stroke receiving centers and congratulate the hospital on the hard work it does in caring for its surrounding community."
About El Camino Hospital
El Camino Hospital is an acute-care, 443-bed, nonprofit and locally governed organization with campuses in Mountain View and Los Gatos, Calif. In addition to state-of-the-art emergency departments, key medical specialties include Neuroscience, heart and vascular, cancer care, urology, orthopedic and spine, genomic medicine, and the only Women's Hospital in Northern California. The hospital is recognized as a national leader in the use of health information technology and wireless communications, and has been awarded the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center as well as back-to-back ANCC Magnet Recognitions for Nursing Care.