Primary Stroke Center Certification Program

Millions of people throughout the United States have suffered from stroke. People need to know where they can go in their community to get the best stroke care possible. Facilities that comply with national standards for stroke are certified as one of those places.

Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) initiated a Primary Stroke Certification program in 2006 using recommendations from the Brain Attack Coalition as the foundation for its standards. Moving forward HFAP has also endorsed the American Heart Association's Get with the Guidelines as a tool for patient management and performance measure. HFAP strives to provide its customers with a user friendly and educationally focused set of standards for all of its programs.

Eligibility for Stroke Center Certification

A hospital seeking Primary Stroke Center certification through the HFAP shall comply with the following requirements before its application will be considered.

1. The hospital shall have current hospital accreditation through an entity with CMS deeming authority.
2. Healthcare facilities seeking HFAP Primary Stroke Center certification must comply with all HFAP Primary Stroke Center standards. Patients eligible for the Stroke Center protocol include those who, following CT scan, have a diagnosis of Ischemic Stroke, Hemorrhagic Stroke, or Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA.)
3. The hospital shall have a minimum of 12 consecutive months' worth of stroke data.