Holyoke Medical Center Attains National Stroke Recognition

Cross­Departmental Initiative Leads to Nationally Recognized Stroke Treatment Program

Holyoke Medical Center
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Annual ED Visits: 40,000

The Challenge
The Holyoke Medical Center in western Massachusetts was seeking a partner to provide appropriate staffing and outstanding leadership for its emergency department. With more than 40,000 emergency department visits annually, the hospital was focused on improving throughput and developing innovative solutions to patient care challenges. The hospital chose EmCare as its emergency department management partner because of its commitment to quality physician leadership backed with comprehensive support programs that allow physicians to focus on patients and high quality care.

The Solution
EmCare quickly utilized its national recruiting resources and ensured adequate coverage by staffing the emergency department with highly qualified, full-time emergency physicians. Manish Vig, MD, MBA, was brought on board to lead the emergency department and work with hospital leaders to develop systems and processes to manage the patient volume and alleviate delays.

To manage time-sensitive cases such as stroke and heart attack Dr. Vig coordinated his department's efforts with M. Zubair Kareem, MD, Stroke Program Medical Director, and Angela Smith, RN, BSN, Stroke Program Clinical Manager. Working together, they developed a team-centric approach involving EMS personnel, physicians, nurses, techs and other key hospital staff members. The team developed a consistent standard of care and provided the appropriate tools for treatment, including brain imaging scans, 24/7 neurology coverage for patient evaluations and clot-busting medications when appropriate.

The Results
The program made an immediate impact and led to the following achievements:

  • Leads the entire state of Massachusetts in the accurate administration of the clot busting drug t-PA.
  • Featured in the 2009 U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” for stroke care.
  • Achieved Gold Plus Level status in the American Heart Association's “Get With the Guidelines” program, the premier hospital-based quality improvement program.
  • Received significant local media coverage for its stroke care program, raising its profile in the community among patients and other physicians.

Eligible Patients Receiving t-PA:
Holyoke Medical Center: 96.3%
Massachusetts: 58.7 %

Complication Rate at Holyoke:
0.0%, No Bleeds