Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s Stroke Program Exceeds Quality Expectations

"I was very glad to have good medical support that helped me survive"
Rubin Rodriguez,
CDH Stroke Patient
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Cooley Dickinson Hospital has a Primary Stroke Center that offers fast, award-winning care to patients. In recognition of May, Stroke Awareness Month, the hospital would like to inform our community that we have been committed to providing quality stroke care by:

• In 2005, established a multi-disciplinary team to ensure that all stroke patients receive stroke care that exceeds state and national expectations.
• Obtained Primary Stroke Center designation and licensing through the state Department of Public Health. This benefits our  community by allowing our patients the best chance for receiving early treatment; the sooner the treatment the better the outcome.
• Has a goal to ensure that all potential stroke patients arriving at our ED receive rapid assessment, diagnostic testing and treatment.
• Has a goal of treating any stroke patient who is determined eligible with an IV of tPA, a clot-busting drug, within 60 minutes of arrival.
• Holds the patient’s safety and health as the primary focus.
• Invested, in 2008, in state-of-the-art equipment to provide tele-neurology services to ensure quality stroke care is provided to all patients.
• Received the Get With The Guidelines Silver Award for quality stroke care in 2009.
• Offers speech, physical and occupational therapy in its Rehabilitation Department, where trained specialists work with the patient and family members to determine best options for the patient upon discharge.
• Offers a stroke survivor’s support group, preventative education to patients and family members and community education programs to promote awareness of signs and symptoms of stroke and the use of emergency medical services.

Cooley Dickinson Hospital offers a Stroke Support Group that meets the fourth Thursday of every month in Conference Room B at the hospital from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. The group is free and open to the public. For more information, please call (413) 582-2259.

Learn more at the American Stroke Association website.