Holyoke Medical Center earns national recognition for excellence in stroke care

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – Holyoke Medical Center (HMC) has been nationally recognized for its outstanding commitment to providing high-quality stroke care, earning several prestigious awards from both the American Heart Association and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Paul Coverdell Stroke Systems of Care Collaborative.

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These accolades underscore HMC's leadership in stroke treatment and dedication to improving patient outcomes.

Among the honors, HMC received the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Award, the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Award, and the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award. These awards recognize hospitals that demonstrate exceptional adherence to evidence-based guidelines in stroke care, ensuring that patients receive the most effective treatment to improve recovery and reduce long-term disability.

Additionally, HMC earned four awards from the Massachusetts Paul Coverdell Stroke Systems of Care Collaborative for excellence in key stroke care metrics. These include:

Achieving "Door to Needle" times of 60 minutes or less for at least 90% of stroke patients.

Conducting dysphagia screenings for 90% or more of patients.

Documenting National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) screenings for 95% or more of stroke patients.

Receiving the Pre-notification Award for enhancing early stroke identification.

"We are very proud of our entire stroke care team, under the leadership of Dr. M. Zubair Kareem," said Spiros Hatiras, President and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems. "Their knowledge and quick action ensure that stroke patients at HMC receive the best possible care, leading to more lives saved and reduced disability."

Stroke remains a major cause of death and disability in the United States. It occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts, preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching brain cells. Early intervention is crucial for minimizing the long-term impact of a stroke, including death and severe disability. The awards reflect HMC's commitment to rapid stroke treatment, which is key to improving patient outcomes.

To qualify for the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Award, HMC met specific standards for reducing the time between a stroke patient's arrival at the hospital and the administration of thrombolytic therapy, a treatment that dissolves blood clots in the brain. For the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award, HMC demonstrated its ability to provide high-quality care to stroke patients with Type 2 diabetes, who are at increased risk of stroke complications.

"Our team's commitment to adhering to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines is what helps our stroke patients recover faster and with fewer complications," added Hatiras. "These awards are a testament to the excellent care our staff provides and the positive impact it has on our community."

Holyoke Medical Center continues to lead in the field of stroke care, providing life-saving treatments and educating patients to improve long-term health outcomes.

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