BFMC Receives Stroke Award

GREENFIELD — Baystate Franklin Medical Center has received the American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke (GWTG – Stroke) Silver Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes Baystate Franklin Medical Center’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.

“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the GWTG – Stroke Silver Performance Achievement Award addresses the important element of time,” said Deborah Palmeri, chief nursing officer and Stroke Team leader for the hospital. Baystate Franklin Medical Center has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain-imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations, and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.

To receive the GWTG – Stroke Silver Performance Achievement Award, Baystate Franklin Medical Center consistently complied for at least one year with the requirements in the GWTG – Stroke program. These include aggressive use of medications like tPA, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol-reducing drugs, and smoking cessation. This 12-month evaluation period is the second in an ongoing self-evaluation by the hospital to continually reach the 85{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} compliance level needed to sustain this award.