Tuesday, May 7, 2013 10:10 PM EDT
NEW BRITAIN The Hospital of Central Connecticuts Stroke Center has earned national recognition for providing excellent, timely care that can help reduce damage caused by stroke.
HOCC received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Associations Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for meeting specific stroke care quality measures for two or more consecutive years. The measures include aggressive use of clot-dissolving and cholesterol-reducing medications and other activities aimed at reducing death and disability and improving the lives of stroke patients.
In addition, the Hospital of Central Connecticut received the associations Target: Stroke Honor Roll recognition for improving stroke care. Target: Stroke aims to have hospitals provide t-PA clot-dissolving medication within 60 minutes of a stroke patients arrival.
By administering t-PA within 60 minutes, were reducing the amount of time a clot can block blood flow to the brain, and were helping to preserve brain cells, said Kristen Hickey, registered nurse and the HOCC Stroke Center coordinator.
If given intravenously in the first three hours after the start of stroke symptoms, t-PA has been shown to significantly reverse the effects of stroke and reduce permanent disability, added Dr. Timothy Parsons, the HOCC Stroke Center medical director.
In addition to the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recognitions, HOCCs Stroke Center has advanced certification as a Primary Stroke Center from The Joint Commission and has been designated a Primary Stroke Center by the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
For information on stroke prevention and treatment, call HOCCs stroke coordinator, (860) 224-5900, ext. 6764.
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HOCC awarded for care provided to stroke patients