Frisbie Memorial Hospital recognized for its excellence in stroke care

Frisbie Memorial Hospital is a 112-bed hospital serving New Hampshire's Greater Seacoast region and Southern Maine. It is owned by HCA Healthcare (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - Frisbie Memorial Hospital has been recognized by the American Heart Association for its excellence in stroke care, receiving the "Get With The Guidelines Stroke Silver Plus" achievement award, it was announced by HCA Healthcare on Tuesday.

Parkland Medical Center and Portsmouth Regional Hospital, meanwhile, received the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines - Stroke quality achievement awards for their commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Parkland Medical Center also received the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus award.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. 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 brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times.
"Get With The Guidelines" puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. "Get With The Guidelines - Stroke" is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
"HCA New England Healthcare hospitals are committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines," said Brian Sanders, MD, chief medical officer, HCA New England Healthcare. "Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams across our facilities to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in the communities we serve can experience longer, healthier lives. I am proud of our teams and their continued dedication to the care of patients in our communities."
"We are incredibly pleased to recognize Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Parkland Medical Center, and Frisbie Memorial Hospital for their commitment to caring for patients with stroke," said Steven Messe, M.D., volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology and director of fellowships of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. "Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates - a win for health care systems, families and communities."
Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Parkland Medical Center also received the American Heart Association's Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite Plus award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient's arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.

About Frisbie Memorial Hospital
Frisbie Memorial Hospital is a 112-bed hospital serving New Hampshire's Greater Seacoast region and Southern Maine. It is owned by HCA Healthcare, which operates three hospitals, three freestanding emergency rooms, an ambulatory surgery center, urgent care center, and 46 physician practices in New Hampshire, where it employs 2,600 colleagues and 554 physicians, provides $15.8 million in uncompensated care, and pays $43.8 million in taxes annually. HCA Healthcare's New Hampshire hospitals also include Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Parkland Medical Center in Derry, and freestanding emergency rooms in Seabrook, Dover, and Plaistow.