The new Stroke Center at El Camino Hospital has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the same national organization that accredits hospitals.

To achieve this designation, El Camino demonstrated that its stroke program meets national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes after strokes, the nation’s third leading cause of death. Fewer than 200 primary stroke centers in the United States earned the designation.

“Minutes count in emergency treatment for stroke, so prompt transfer and immediate accessibility to appropriate care can mean the difference between life and death for stroke patients in this community,” said Marla Gularte, interim chief executive officer of El Camino Hospital. “Life-saving treatment for stroke often depends on getting to the hospital within a very small window of time.

“We’re proud to achieve the distinction and, more importantly, we’re pleased that this stroke designation will allow us to continue serving stroke patients in this community.”

The Stroke Center has an in-house team of specialists available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to meet the needs of stroke patients. A panel of on-call neurologists ensures a consistent and rapid response in the emergency room when a patient arrives with stroke symptoms. Neurologist Ronald Hess, M.D., and program coordinator Ruby Garma, R.N., lead an interdisciplinary team of neurologists and other physicians, stroke unit nurses, emergency department nurses and occupational, physical and speech therapists.