Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital Becomes Certified Primary Stroke Center

Orlando, FL (September 16, 2024) – After committing to expand specialized health services in the community, Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital is proud to announce that it has been designated as a Certified Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission.

Patients suffering from a stroke will have access to a highly trained, coordinated team when they enter the emergency room at the hospital. The Joint Commission ensures that Primary Stroke Center hospitals follow consistent guidelines for stroke care, which can lead to better outcomes. Those suffering from a stroke will no longer need to be transferred to a different hospital unless they require surgical intervention.

“Since opening the hospital in 2021, we’ve focused on building new programs that will serve our community,” said Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital President Maggie Bonko. “We want our neighbors to feel confident that we are here to support them and provide the best care possible during health emergencies.”

The team at Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital has been researching, preparing and training staff members to earn the designation for nearly a year. Medical professionals in the emergency room and inpatient units have received specialized stroke education, that will be reviewed annually. In addition, everyone working inside the hospital has been trained on the “BE FAST” acronym to recognize stroke signs and symptoms.

A stroke, which is when blood flow to the brain is blocked, can happen at any age and early intervention is crucial. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease and stroke claimed more lives in 2021 than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined in the United States.

Now that Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital has earned the Certified Primary Stroke Center designation, all Orlando Health hospitals in Florida are equipped to care for stroke patients.

About Orlando Health

Orlando Health is a private not-for-profit, integrated academic healthcare system with $10.5 billion of assets under management, that serves the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico. With corporate offices in Orlando, Florida the system provides a complete continuum of care across a network of medical centers and institutes, community and specialty hospitals, physician practices, urgent care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, home healthcare, and long-term and behavioral health

care services. Founded more than 100 years ago, Orlando Health’s mission is to improve the health and the quality of life of the individuals and communities we serve. The system provided nearly $1.3 billion in community impact in the form of community benefit programs and services, Medicare shortfalls, bad debt, community-building activities and capital investments in FY 22, the most recent period for which the information is available. For more information, visit orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter.)