07/15/2024
New Milford Hospital provides life-saving stroke treatment, ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients.
New Milford Hospital is proud to announce it has achieved Acute Stroke Ready Certification from The Joint Commission, underscoring its commitment to exceptional stroke care. Earning this certification assures the New Milford community of the hospital’s high standards in stroke care, emphasizing quick response and advanced treatment protocols — both critical to reducing the risk of long-term disability or death from stroke.
Following a comprehensive evaluation by The Joint Commission, New Milford Hospital met stringent standards for diagnosing and treating stroke, providing support services for patients and caregivers and consistently meeting the highest quality measures. New Milford Hospital’s rapid time to treatment, safety, and patient and caregiver education results in improved outcomes for stroke patients.
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“Achieving Joint Commission certification reassures our community that we are equipped and ready to provide expert stroke care,” said Lauren Henriques, advanced stroke-certified and neurovascular registered nurse and neuroscience coordinator at Danbury Hospital and New Milford Hospital.
Henriques continued, “The Joint Commission’s certification process is rigorous, requiring a detailed review of all aspects of patient care and continuous performance monitoring. Consistent clinical guidelines and stroke protocols ensure every patient receives optimal care, regardless of the time or day.”
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“Our team’s expertise and quick response capability are essential to ensuring the best possible recovery for patients. New Milford Hospital Emergency Department and our close collaboration with community emergency medical services are key to providing life-saving care and lowering the risk of long-term disability from stroke,” said Dr. Thomas Koobatian, emergency medicine physician and executive director and chief of staff at New Milford Hospital.
“In addition to our extraordinary team, the advanced capabilities of our stroke program have been made possible through a close collaboration with Danbury Hospital,” said Dr. Doug Smith, emergency medicine physician and director of emergency medicine at New Milford Hospital. “The Greater New Milford Community can feel comforted knowing advanced treatments are an important part of how we care for stroke patients at New Milford Hospital.”
“New Milford Hospital’s commitment to stroke care is a testament to our mission of treating every person with personalized, compassionate care. I am proud of our stroke team who go above and beyond for the community,” said Dr. Paul Wright, senior vice president and system chair of the Neuroscience Institute at Nuvance Health.
In addition to Henriques, Dr. Koobatian and Dr. Smith, this accomplishment was made possible through a dedicated team of New Milford Hospital emergency medicine, radiology, neurology, neurosurgery, pharmacy and administrative leaders, including Dr. Neil Culligan, section chief of neurology and director of the stroke center; Stephanie Smith, RN, emergency department patient care manager; and Jeffrey Rabito, lead emergency department patient care technician.
Special recognition also goes to New Milford Hospital administrative and nursing leadership and patient registration, laboratory and quality team members.