Helping L+M Hospital’s Stroke Center attain national recognition for cutting-edge care has earned L+M’s Lisa Bedard a prestigious honor, and that’s why she’s also the focus on this Feature Friday. Bedard, APRN, and manager of the L+M Stroke Program, has been honored with a Healthcare Heroes Award, presented annually by the Connecticut Hospital Association. Bedard will receive the award at the CHA’s annual meeting in June, but she insists the honor should be shared with her colleagues, all of whom she credits with helping build an award-winning stroke program at L+M. “I could never have achieved the success of our stroke program without Dr. Daniel Moalli and all the wonderful Patient Care Services staff,” Bedard says. “We all share the same passion for improving stroke care in our region.” Among her accomplishments, Bedard organized L+M’s Brain Attack Team in 2006 to provide faster response to patients presenting at L+M with symptoms of a stroke. This “Code BAT” initiative helped L+M earn Primary Stroke Center certification from The Joint Commission. Through Bedard’s ongoing efforts, L+M has successfully maintained its stroke certification and also achieved the prestigious “Gold Award Plus” from the American Heart and Stroke Association. A stroke survivor herself, Bedard has worked with patients, colleagues and the public to help people recognize signs of stroke and take fast action to prevent brain injury or death. Her efforts with Dr. Moalli and others also brought to L+M the Yale TeleStroke Program, which provides immediate access to neurological specialists when a potential stroke victim presents at the Emergency Department. Congratulations, Lisa!
