Cooley Dickinson Hospital Recognized for Stroke Care

NORTHAMPTON — Cooley Dickinson Hospital recently received the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.

“Caring for stroke patients is a team effort that relies on sophisticated collaboration between patients, our pre-hospital team, the Emergency Department, and the hospital floor/ICU,” said Dr. Robert Redwood, Cooley Dickinson’s chief of Emergency Medicine and stroke medical director. “Together we were able to achieve top marks in terms of screening for and treating diabetes in our patients suffering from stroke.

“We are proud of this milestone and would like to thank our patients and all of our community partners for helping Cooley Dickinson maintain a thriving and impactful stroke program despite all of the patient-care challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Redwood added, emphasizing the importance of the stroke team at Cooley Dickinson who work together to provide care to people experiencing stroke.

Calling the recognition an “outstanding accomplishment,” Cooley Dickinson President and CEO Dr. Lynnette Watkins also praised the stroke team for their hard work and focus.

Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.