Hospital institutions in Mexico will have access to a single, comprehensive set of stroke certification services through a new collaboration between the Mexican stroke association, Asociación Mexicana de Enfermedad Vascular Cerebral AC (AMEVASC), and the American Stroke Association (ASA).
The ASA, a division of the American Heart Association (AHA), uses its stroke certification model to assist hospitals with a framework, structure, management and delivery of high-quality care by standardising and increasing the quality of—and access to—acute care for patients who suffer a stroke.
“ASA and AMEVASC are uniquely positioned to build upon shared leadership in translating guidelines into programmes and services that shape clinical care and improve patient outcomes to offer a comprehensive set of stroke certification services for healthcare facilities in Mexico,” said Juan Calleja, president of AMEVASC.
Primary and comprehensive stroke centre certification services will offer all regional hospitals and institutions a single resource with process improvement tools to integrate evidence-based science, quality initiatives, clinical best practices, and the latest guidelines, into their stroke care processes, according to the ASA.
“Our two organisations share common priorities and interests in improving the quality of primary stroke centre and comprehensive stroke centre services provided to the public,” said Mitchell Elkind, chief clinical science officer for the AHA and the senior staff science leader for all association initiatives related to stroke. “ASA and AMEVASC believe that the hospitals and the patients they serve would benefit from a coordinated certification programme that provides enhanced value through shared governance, requiring compliance with the appropriate stroke clinical practice guidelines, and an organised approach for performance measurement and improvement activities.”
“Research improves patients’ outcomes when medical professionals implement the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatment guidelines,” added Salvador Cruz-Flores (Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, El Paso, USA), past member of the ASA Advisory Committee. “Working with AMEVASC to expand healthcare facility certification aligns with the goal for science-based assessment, diagnosis and treatment of stroke to save lives, and reduce disability.”
