FALL RIVER, MA - For the seventh year in a row, Saint Anne’s Hospital has earned an award for stroke care from the Massachusetts Paul Coverdell Stroke Program/Hospital Quality Improvement Collaborative.

This year, Saint Anne’s has earned the Coverdell Stroke Systems of Care Partnership Award. This recognition is awarded to hospitals that have established a formal partnership with Emergency Medical Services and/or post-acute facilities for the care of stroke patients.

“We are proud of our team at Saint Anne’s Hospital and our partnerships with local EMS providers whose commitment to stroke care has earned this recognition,” said Saint Anne’s Hospital President Michael Bushell.

“Rapid care by EMS providers at the onset of symptoms can be a life-saving factor,” said Bushell. “Thanks to advanced technology that links EMS with our Emergency Department, EMS can initiate care before patients arrive at the hospital. Our hospital team is in constant contact with EMS and is ready to administer treatment as soon as the patient arrives.”

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and more than 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

Since 2005, Saint Anne’s Hospital has been designated as a Primary Stroke Service Provider from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The distinction means that the hospital ensures emergency diagnostic and therapeutic services by a multidisciplinary team, 24 hours day, seven days a week, to patients presenting with signs of acute stroke.  

About the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program
Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Coverdell Stroke Program is named after the late U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell of Georgia who passed away in July 2000 as a result of a stroke. Massachusetts has been funded since 2001 and is currently one of nine state health departments funded to participate in the program.

The mission of the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program is to track and improve the quality of care for acute stroke patients; to decrease the rate of premature death and disability from acute stroke through secondary prevention; to increase public awareness of stroke treatment and prevention; and to reduce disparities in acute stroke care by providing underserved populations with better access to care.  
  
About Saint Anne’s Hospital
Founded by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation in 1906, Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Massachusetts, is a full-service, acute care Catholic hospital with 211 beds and satellite locations in Dartmouth, Attleboro, Swansea, and New Bedford, Massachusetts. Saint Anne’s provides nationally recognized patient- and family-centered inpatient care and outpatient clinical services to patients from surrounding Massachusetts and Rhode Island communities.

Saint Anne’s key services include the Center for Orthopedic Excellence; bariatric surgery; multiple robotic-assisted surgical capabilities, including orthopedic surgery, spine surgery, and general surgery; Saint Anne’s Hospital Regional Cancer Center; two ambulatory surgery centers; the Center for Pain Management; and inpatient geriatric psychiatry services.

In addition to national recognition for cancer care, orthopedic surgery, spine surgery, bariatric surgery, stroke care, and patient experience, Saint Anne’s is one of just 15 U.S. hospitals to have earned 25 “Straight A’s” from the Leapfrog Group for patient safety since 2012.

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Understanding stroke
The American Heart Association defines stroke as a cerebrovascular disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. 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, so it starts to die. When a stroke occurs and blood flow can't reach the region that controls a particular body function, that part of the body won't work as it should.

Knowing the key signs and symptoms of stroke and calling 9-1-1 immediately can save a life. The F.A.S.T. acronym is an easy way to remember:  
•    Face: Does the face look uneven? Ask the person to smile. 
•    Arm: Does one arm drift down? Ask the person to raise both arms.
•    Speech: Does the speech sound strange? Ask the person to repeat a phrase.
•    Time: If you observe these symptoms, call 9-1-1.

For more information about stroke, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/stroke-prevention-and-control.