Banner — University Medical Center Tucson has joined its sister hospital in Phoenix as the only two Comprehensive Stroke Centers in Arizona certified by the Joint Commission.
Certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center indicates a hospital has the necessary resources, staff and training to treat the most complex cases of stroke.
It is the highest of four certifications offered by the nonprofit Joint Commission in partnership with the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association.
Paramedics take such designations into account when routing stroke patients to hospitals.
To qualify as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, hospitals must follow advanced standards and practices, provide specific procedures to a defined number of patients annually, and offer advanced, round-the-clock expertise, neurological services and resources.
Currently, 186 such centers exist nationwide.
