Lake Country Health Services becomes first skilled nursing facility in Wisconsin to earn American Heart Association Stroke Rehabilitation Certification
OCONOMOWOC, WI — Lake Country Health Services, a North Shore Health facility, has earned the Skilled Nursing Facility Stroke Rehabilitation Certification offered by the American Heart Association®, becoming the first skilled nursing facility in Wisconsin to receive this distinction.
The certification recognizes Lake Country Health Services for implementing rigorous, evidence-based stroke rehabilitation standards focused on improving recovery, reducing complications and enhancing quality of life for patients recovering from stroke.
Stroke remains a leading cause of serious long-term disability in the United States, with nearly 800,000 people experiencing a new or recurrent stroke each year according to the American Heart Association’s 2024 statistical update. The certification evaluates skilled nursing facilities on science-based standards including program management, patient and caregiver education, interdisciplinary care coordination, clinical management and quality improvement.
“When there are evidence-based processes during every phase of care, patients have the best opportunity for positive outcomes,” said Pamela Duncan, PhD, PT, FAPTA, FAHA, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association’s Skilled Nursing Facility Stroke Rehabilitation Certification Oversight Workgroup. “Participation in this certification benefits the patient and the facility by standardizing care, helping patients and their loved ones choose a facility that follows important best practices.”
Lake Country Health Services developed a comprehensive stroke rehabilitation program focused on coordinated post-acute recovery, including standardized clinical protocols, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, dysphagia management, blood pressure monitoring, mobility and fall prevention programs, caregiver education and quality improvement initiatives.
“This certification reflects our commitment to delivering specialized, evidence-based stroke rehabilitation care at the skilled nursing level,” said Dr. Matthew Cowling, DO, Physiatrist and Chief Clinical Officer at Medrina. “Our goal was to build a program that improves outcomes, enhances recovery and creates a higher standard for post-acute stroke care. We are proud to partner with Lake Country Health Services and North Shore Health in becoming the first facility in Wisconsin to achieve this certification.”
“This achievement demonstrates our team’s dedication to providing exceptional rehabilitative care for stroke survivors,” said Holly Bah, Executive Director at Lake Country Health Services “We are proud to offer patients and families access to advanced stroke rehabilitation services close to home while helping lead the future of post-acute stroke care in Wisconsin.”
To be eligible for this certification, skilled nursing facilities must implement a stroke rehabilitation program that follows current evidence-based guidelines and demonstrates standardized methods of delivering stroke rehabilitation care.
This certification ensures stroke rehabilitation care is coordinated from pre-admission through working with the skilled nursing facility to discharge.
