January 28, 2005

MGH designated as Primary Stroke Service hospital

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in the United States. In Massachusetts, 17,799 people were hospitalized with stroke symptoms and 3,557 people died as a result of a stroke in 2002. To help improve the care of acute stroke patients and increase the likelihood that these patients receive prompt care, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has designated the MGH and 32 other hospitals statewide as Primary Stroke Services.

Lee Schwamm, MD, (right) associate director of MGH Acute Stroke Services and ad hoc consultant to the DPH in the Primary Stroke Service design and implementation, was a guest speaker at the Jan. 19 DPH press conference where the announcement of the designated hospitals was made. "We applaud the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for implementing the Primary Stroke Service licensure program," said Schwamm. "In creating this program, the department has taken a tremendous step forward in making high-quality acute stroke care available to all of the citizens of the Commonwealth, not just those who live near a major medical center."

Hospitals that provide a Primary Stroke Service must ensure that emergency diagnostic and therapeutic services are provided by a multidisciplinary team and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to patients presenting with symptoms of acute stroke.

For more information about the MGH Stroke Service, visit www.stopstroke.org.