Logan Hospital has achieved a major milestone in patient care, joining only a handful of hospitals in Queensland to be certified under the Australian Stroke Coalition’s (ASC) Stroke Unit Certification Project.
For patients in the Logan region, this means a better chance at recovery without needing to travel far from home.
With evidence showing that receiving treatment in a certified stroke unit can reduce the risk of death or disability by 25 per cent, achieving certification is far more than just a badge of honour.
Stroke Clinical Nurse Consultant Victoria Pullinger said the certification process was an opportunity to highlight the high-quality care delivered at Logan.
Victoria explained that Logan Hospital underwent a thorough, peer-reviewed assessment to achieve the Primary Stroke Centre certification.
“The process involved a detailed application, documentation review, and a virtual site walkthrough by external adjudicators before final approval from a national committee,” she said. "Stroke consultant, Dr Alex Lau and his team of clinicians were also engaged in the process and provided insights into clinical needs for the ongoing delivery of quality care."
Launched nationally in 2023, the Stroke Unit Certification Program sets rigorous standards to ensure hospitals deliver best-practice, evidence-based stroke care in dedicated units. These standards include having a single, specialist-staffed ward for all stroke patients, regular team training, patient involvement in care decisions, and a commitment to continuous improvement through data monitoring.
Certification is valid for four years, with ongoing monitoring to ensure standards are maintained.
Logan Hospital is one of just 23 hospitals across Australia to be certified so far, and joins the Princess Alexandra Hospital as the second in the Metro South region.
Assistant Director of Nursing Karen Webster said the certification recognised the skill and dedication of the hospital’s stroke team, and their commitment to giving every patient the best care.
“Our team has always focused on placing patients at the centre of every decision, and this certification puts onto paper the processes that we do really, really well here for our patients," she said.
“By upskilling our nurses through dedicated stroke education and combining that expertise with a certified unit, we have significantly enhanced the quality of patient care.”