October 17, 2011 — The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) are helping organizations provide more comprehensive care for patients at certified primary stroke centers and heart failure programs nationwide.
Beginning Feb. 1, 2012, these organizations can use designated seals from The Joint Commission and AHA/ASA signifying they are providing the “next generation of stroke or heart failure care.”
Primary stroke centers will be highlighted on the AHA/ASA’s “Stroke Care Near You” website. The site’s goal is to assist the general public with locating stroke centers that meet criteria of the association’s Get With The Guidelines quality improvement programs. Special recognition will also be awarded for certified primary stroke centers at the annual International Stroke Conference.
Benefits of the enhanced alliance include:
- Patients can easily recognize the hospitals providing state-of-the-art stroke and heart failure care.
- One destination for sharing stroke and heart failure care information with a clearinghouse of tools and best practices.
- A coordinated set of support services facilitating primary stroke and heart failure care through online virtual networking.
- Future integration of the association’s Get With The Guidelines and the Joint Commission’s Certification Measure Information Process (CMIP) measurement system.
- Trend reports that give commission-certified primary stroke centers and organizations with advanced certification in heart failure the ability to view their program’s performance on stroke and heart failure standardized measures.
- Increased recognition by the public of the AHA/ASA and the commission’s certified primary stroke centers and heart failure programs.
For more information: www.jointcommission.org
October 26, 2026 
