02/02/2026
Congratulations to our team Strive Health and Rehab for the hard work during this process supporting the hospital achieving this certification.
HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital are excited to announce that the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility at HCA Florida West Marion Hospital has been certified by DNV Healthcare USA Inc., recognizing the unit’s delivery of high-quality care for stroke patients. HCA Florida West Marion Hospital’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility is the first to be certified through DNV’s expanded stroke program.
“Timely and effective rehabilitation therapy is critical in helping stroke patients recover. This certification by DNV assures our stroke patients, their families, and our community that the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility at HCA Florida West Marion Hospital provides the best possible care for stroke patients,” said Isaiah Zirkle, chief executive officer at HCA Florida West Marion Hospital. “I’m extremely proud of our inpatient rehabilitation team’s commitment to excellence.”
“This recognition reflects HCA Florida West Marion Hospital’s dedication to compassionate, patient-centered rehabilitation care and the commitment of its care teams to supporting recovery through high standards of quality, safety, and continuous improvement,” said Cathie Abrahamsen, RN, MSN, executive director of Stroke Certification Services for DNV Healthcare Inc. “DNV proudly awards its first-in-the-nation certification for inpatient stroke rehabilitation to HCA Florida West Marion Hospital. We celebrate the hospital’s leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing stroke rehabilitation and thank their team for their partnership in bringing this important new offering to life as part of our expanding stroke program.”
Certification by DNV demonstrates to the patients and community served by recipients that the healthcare provider is dedicated to delivering the highest standards of stroke care. Becoming certified by DNV’s stroke subject-matter experts indicates recipient programs are equipped to be resilient and competitive.
HCA Florida West Marion Hospital launched the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility in September 2022 with 36 beds. To accommodate increased patient demand, the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility expanded to 52 beds in September 2025.
The Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility cared for 187 stroke patients in 2025. Those patients had an average acuity of 1.78, compared to 1.68 for facilities throughout Florida. A higher acuity level indicates that the patient’s condition is more dire. Of those patients, 79.1% were discharged home, which exceeded the statewide rate of 73%. Additionally, only 9.6% were discharged to a nursing home, compared to the statewide rate of 13.5%.
HCA Florida West Marion Hospital’s IRF also consistently records high marks across several metrics, including patient experience, among the HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals with inpatient rehabilitation units.
In a separate evaluation, DNV recently certified HCA Florida West Marion Hospital as a Primary Stroke Center for the sixth consecutive year.
This certification is for medium and larger hospitals such as HCA West Marion Hospital that have the necessary staffing, infrastructure and programs to stabilize and treat most emergent stroke patients. A Primary Stroke Center can provide treatment to a broad range of stroke conditions and is able to provide some acute therapies, as well as admit patients to a designated stroke unit or to beds, specifically assigned for stroke care.
The DNV Stroke Center certifications awarded to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital are based on standards set forth by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association and affirm that the hospitals address the full spectrum of stroke care — diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and education — and establish clear metrics to evaluate outcomes.
