The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association have awarded the Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers to Kern Medical.

The certification means Kern Medical complies with stroke-related standards and requirements, including program management, the delivery of clinical care and performance improvement.

Stroke is the number four cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. Someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and dies every four minutes.

The hospital underwent a rigorous onsite review in September 2016.