MT. VERNON – SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital-Mt. Vernon announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers.The Gold Seal of Approval^® and the Heart-Check mark represent symbols of quality from their respective organizations.

SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital underwent a rigorous onsite review in July. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement.

Established in 2003, Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers is awarded for a two-year period to Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals.

Stroke is the number four cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.