Thompson Honored for Excellence in Stroke Care

CANANDAIGUA, NY – F.F. Thompson Hospital recently received the American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines^SM–Stroke Gold Performance Achievement Award.

The award recognizes Thompson’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment for at least 24 months according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.

Thompson, a New York State-designated Stroke Center, has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate.

“The American Stroke Association commends Thompson for its success in implementing standards of care and protocols,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., Vice-Chair of the national Get With the Guidelines Steering Committee and Vice-Chair of the Neurology department  as well as Director of Acute Stroke Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “The full implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients.”

According to the American Stroke Association, each year approximately 795,000 people suffer a stroke — 610,000 are first attacks and 185,000 are recurrent. Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States is suffering from a stroke.  This deadly condition accounts for 1 out of every 18 deaths in the United States.