Holyoke Medical Center Nationally Recognized for High-quality Stroke Care

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) has once again received the American Heart Assoc. Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll quality achievement award. HMC has been recognized annually with Get with the Guidelines Stroke awards since 2007.

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, causing brain cells to die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability, and accelerating recovery times.

Get with the Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Assoc. and American Stroke Assoc. to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get with the Guidelines – Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.

To qualify for the American Heart Assoc. Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite award, HMC met specific criteria to reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.

The Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award aims to ensure patients with type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

Holyoke Medical Center meets specific scientific guidelines as a primary stroke center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the Emergency Department. HMC also participates in educating patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home.