Northwell Health’s Hudson Valley hospitals earn national recognition for stroke care

When a stroke strikes, every second counts. The sooner someone receives care, the better their chances for recovery. That's why Northwell Health has built a stroke care program that offers nationally recognized, advanced services from caring specialists close to home.

We're proud to consistently earn national recognition for delivering exceptional stroke care across our hospitals in the Hudson Valley, including:

• Vassar Brothers Medical Center received Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Putnam Hospital received Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Silver Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite
• Northern Dutchess Hospital received Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus and Rural Stroke Silver

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"These honors reflect how well our stroke teams deliver fast, coordinated, evidence-based care when patients need it most," says Susan Browning, Northwell Health regional president overseeing Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Putnam Hospital and Northern Dutchess Hospital. "Across our hospitals, we provide excellent stroke services and help patients and families through every step of recovery."

Vassar Brothers Medical Center is a certified Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center — endovascular neurosurgeons use an advanced biplane angiography system to precisely remove brain vessel blockages during an ischemic stroke, which improves recovery for patients. Putnam Hospital and Northern Dutchess Hospital are also Joint Commission Primary Stroke Centers.

But great stroke care is about more than technology and awards. It's about having highly trained teams — emergency responders, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and rehabilitation therapists — who act fast, work together and genuinely care about each patient's recovery.

"Our stroke teams' relentless commitment to providing timely, evidence-based stroke treatment not only save lives but patients recover more fully," says Browning, who is also the president of Vassar Brothers Medical Center. "I'm grateful for our stroke teams and sincerely thank everyone for their dedication and teamwork."

The stroke teams also promote stroke education and prevention. Everyone needs to know the signs of a stroke and call 911 immediately. Use the acronym B.E.F.A.S.T. to remember the warning signs:

• Balance: Sudden loss of coordination
• Eyes: Sudden vision changes
• Face: Drooping on one side
• Arms: Weakness or numbness
• Speech: Slurred or difficult speech
• Time: Time to call 911. Do not drive yourself to the hospital. Emergency medical services can start stroke evaluation and help expedite care in the emergency department.

Timely care makes all the difference. Our communities in the Hudson Valley can count on Northwell Health's hospitals for stroke care.