June 28, 2006, ST. LOUIS – Recognizing Barnes-Jewish Hospital''s efforts to care for patients with seizures, the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) certified Barnes-Jewish as an Epilepsy Center of Excellence. It is one of only three epilepsy centers in the nation to receive JCAHO certification.
JCAHO is an independent, not-for-profit organization and is the nation''s predominant standards setting and accrediting body in health care. Overall, they evaluate more than 15,000 organizations and programs in the United States.
Lawrence N. Eisenman, MD, PhD, Washington University neurologist and medical director of the Adult Epilepsy Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, says earning this certification is a big step for epilepsy treatment in St. Louis. "This certification provides an outside validation of the outstanding quality of our epilepsy care from the most widely recognized certifying organization," says Dr. Eisenman.
Seizures are a common problem in the U.S. with more than two million people currently under treatment for recurrent seizures (epilepsy). Advances in antiepileptic drug and neurosurgical treatments have made it possible to control, and even permanently stop, disabling seizure disorders and allow patients to lead normal lives.
"We''re proud to achieve this distinction," says Jonathan Gottlieb, MD, chief medical officer at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. "Joint Commission epilepsy center certification recognizes our commitment to providing the most advanced care to our patients and our community."
Barnes-Jewish Hospital was one of the first hospitals in the United States to use brain surgery on a regular basis to treat patients with seizure disorders that were unresponsive to medications. More recently, physicians have developed less invasive surgical techniques using MRI guidance that allow some epilepsy surgeries to be performed through smaller incisions, resulting in less post-operative discomfort and faster recovery.
In addition, continuous video electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring is done through Barnes-Jewish Hospital''s six bed-monitoring unit as an important diagnostic tool used to evaluate patients for surgery, characterize events and to differentiate seizures from other disorders.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital is a leader in patient care and research and is routinely ranked among the top 10 hospitals in America in U.S. News & World Report''s annual guide to "America''s Best Hospitals." The hospital has 1,251 beds and treats patients from all 50 states throughout the world. Barnes-Jewish Hospital is a member of BJC HealthCare, which provides a full range of health care services through its 12 hospitals and more than 100 health care sites in Missouri and Illinois, and is also affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine, ranked as the nation''s number four medical school by U.S.News & World Report.