LANCASTER — Antelope Valley Hospital (AVH) has achieved Advanced Primary Stroke Center Certification from The Joint Commission and the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency. This designation signifies that AVH has the equipment, infrastructure, staff and training programs needed to quickly diagnose and treat patients presenting with acute stroke.
The Joint Commission performed an extensive on-site review and analysis of AVH’s compliance with specific standards and requirements that have been proven to result in better outcomes for stroke patients. The surveyors found the hospital met or exceeded all requirements.
Only hospitals with certified stroke centers are equipped to quickly treat stroke victims. Immediate diagnosis and treatment are vital to reducing a patient’s risk of long-term disability and death.
To effectively treat the most common type of stroke – ischemic stroke – doctors must administer an intravenous clot-dissolving medication within 4-1/2 hours from the onset of symptoms. AVH averages 45 minutes from the time a stroke patient arrives at the hospital until the drug is administered, significantly lower than the 60-minute goal set by the American Stroke Association.
“Quick response and accurate diagnosis require an extraordinary amount of teamwork and are essential to treating patients who are experiencing a stroke,” said Colleen Littlejohn, AVH’s stroke coordinator. “It is my privilege to work with such a dedicated team whose collaboration and expertise is evident in the care they provide every day. And now it is nice to see that validated through this high designation.”
AVH treats more than 500 cases of stroke a year. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 800,000 people have a stroke in the U.S. each year. It is the nation’s leading cause of serious long-term disability and the fourth leading cause of death, claiming the lives of almost 130,000 Americans annually.
“This certification reflects the investments Antelope Valley Hospital has made in the equipment, facilities and training to ensure that stroke patients at our hospital receive exceptional care when they need it most,” said AVH Chief Executive Officer Dennis Knox. “Becoming an Advanced Primary Stroke Center is just one example of the great things happening at Antelope Valley Hospital as we continue to serve the community’s growing needs.”
Antelope Valley Hospital is a 420-bed district hospital located in the city of Lancaster in northern Los Angeles County. The hospital is a Level II trauma center and provides a full array of medical/surgical services, pediatric treatment, NICU, mental health, cancer care and more. More information is available at www.avhospital.org or by calling 661-949-5000.
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kim says
There is no way I would ever go to AV hospital. .. EVER.. my husband was transferred there after having surgery in Pasadena for a bleed in his brain the very first day he was there they carelessly hit his head ( the side that the scull was removed) on the railing on the bed causing a massive internal bleed that killed him 2 weeks later. This happened while he was in I C U. They didn’t follow any of the orders that the neuro surgeon sent with his transfer there and when I confronted them right after they hit his head they all from the nurses to the doctor’s were so cold and they told me he was to sick for that hospital anyways and they were trying to get him transferred some place else.. but thanks to that hospital the only place he was transferred to was home on hospice to die. I stayed next to my husband’s bed 24/7 so I heard the nurse’s and doctors talking more like the way they talked about there patients and I can tell you all of them are only there for a paycheck they really don’t care about the people that are sick and dieing.. I was told that because AV hospital is a community hospital they get all of the low life people in there and they just want them out as fast as possible :/ they automatically judge the people coming in based on the type of medical insurance they have. I know that for a fact because I would hear them making comments about them. One night while sitting next to my husband’s bed in I C U the phone was ringing off the hook at the nurses desk, it was a busy night in the er and the er had someone they needed a bed for in I C U and I was shocked when the nurse that answered the phone was yelling saying she would have a bed if someone would hurry up and get the damn stiff off her floor…. that is someone’s mom, wife, daughter not some random road kill on the side of the freeway…. The whole purpose to my rant here is to let people know what go’s on behind the scenes at that hospital and if at all possible if your loved ones are truly sick I mean anything more than I broken finger take them to another hospital. .. There are other hospitals. Hospitals that the employees come to work everyday to make a difference in people’s lives Hospitals that truly care if there patients love or die…
callitasitis says
Open letter of Thanks to those who serve
To OUR men and women and families of our law enforcement, Fire and military community.
To those who work in our ER and hospitals.
To those who keep our light on, water running and our roads cleared.
To those who work in our correction facility, gatekeepers
To those who work in faith & service to mankind.
Thank you for your service, loyalty, commitment to duty, courage and faithful service in keeping America safe.