Hospital retains status as region’s only Comprehensive Stroke Center

Augusta University Medical Center recently passed a rigorous survey by the Joint Commission during a site visit, maintaining its accreditation as the region’s only Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Located in the heart of the stroke belt, AU Medical Center became the area’s first accredited Comprehensive Stroke Center in 2014. Patients in rural Georgia hospitals have fast access to quality stroke care at AUMC through REACH Health, Inc., a telemedicine program pioneered at the Medical College of Georgia that allows neurologists to diagnose and treat stroke patients remotely.

Every 40 seconds, someone in America has a stroke, and about every four minutes, stroke claims a life. Stroke kills more than 133,000 people a year, according to the American Cancer Society/American Stroke Association.

It’s the second leading global cause of death behind heart disease and the No. 1 cause of serious long-term disability in the U.S.