BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel Earns Primary Stroke Certification

BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel recently announced its certification as a Primary Stroke Center, marking a major milestone for the Pasco County hospital. The designation awarded by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), an internationally recognized organization that evaluates hospital stroke readiness, comes less than two years since Pasco County’s newest hospital opened in March 2023.  

“BayCare has prioritized stroke care and early on we received our Acute Stroke Readiness (ASR) designation,” said Beth Wells, director of patient services at BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel. “However, we have worked hard to earn this higher designation as a Primary Stroke Center (PSC), and to do so in less than two years is a great accomplishment.” 

To achieve PSC status, which is based in part on the hospital’s growing emergency room volume, BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel underwent a rigorous review process which included observed clinical best practices, team member interviews and documentation review.  

Per DNV guidelines, Primary Stroke Center certification is for medium to larger capacity hospitals and ensures that the facility has the necessary staffing, infrastructure and programs to stabilize and treat most emergent stroke patients. A PSC not only meets the standards of an ASR facility but also offers treatment for a wider range of stroke conditions. It provides acute therapies and can admit patients to a dedicated stroke unit or specially designated stroke care beds. 

With this certification, every eligible BayCare hospital is now minimally certified as a Primary Stroke Center.  

The DNV accrediting body recognizes four levels of stroke center certification: 

• Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification (CSC)
• Primary Stroke Center Certification Plus (PSC+)
• Primary Stroke Center Certification (PSC)
• Acute Stroke Ready (ASR) 

BayCare’s Winter Haven Hospital in Winter Haven holds the PSC+ certification from DNV and BayCare’s Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa both hold a Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) certification — the highest level of stroke care. 

“A testament to the strength of our health system is that in the rare instance a patient should need a higher level of stroke care from one of our smaller hospitals like BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel, they can be transferred quickly and safely to one of our larger facilities to receive the comprehensive care they need,” said Liz Winter, director of BayCare’s Neuroscience Institute. 

To read more about why BayCare is the leader in treating complex neurological conditions like stroke, visit BayCare Neuroscience Institute. To learn more about stroke symptoms and treatment, visit What Is A Stroke?