BOSTON -- When there is a medical emergency, normally you would go to the nearest emergency room. But when it comes to stroke, the nearest ER isn't necessarily the right one.
NewsCenter 5's Rhonda Mann reported that the state updated its effort Wednesday to see that stroke patients get the best treatment available.
"I just looked at (my husband) with a blank stare, and at one point, I tried to say something and only half of my face had moved," said Suzi Reynolds, who had a stroke.
Reynolds was lucky. Her husband knew something was wrong and called 911. She was having a stroke.
"If I was taken to another hospital other than Mass General, I might not be here today," she said.
The state's goal is for all hospitals to become experts in treating stroke patients. They announced that of the 74 acute care hospitals in Massachusetts, 33 have been certified, with another 20 or so in the process.
"There's no doubt that all areas of the state will be covered. And they're almost covered now," Department of Public Health Dr. Paul Dryer said.
To be designated, a hospital must have 24-hour access to brain imaging, like cat-scans. They must also have specialists available at all times and must keep track of information on the outcome of stroke patients.
Stroke expertise is necessary to administer TPA -- a clot-busting drug that, if given within three hours of the onset of symptoms, can stop the most common type of stroke in its tracks.
"It can be dangerous in patients that don't qualify, either because too much time has passed since the start of their stroke, the damage is too extensive or they don't actually have a stroke, they have another condition that's mimicking a stroke," Massachusetts General Hospital Dr. Lee Schwamm said.
After March 1, only hospitals on the state's list will be able to receive stroke patients.
"If you think you're having a stroke, call 911. Tell them you think you're having a stroke and with the system in place, it's guaranteed they'll be taken to the nearest available stroke center that's capable of evaluating and treating them," Schwamm said.
Every three minutes, someone dies from a stroke, and half of those deaths happen in hospitals. It's hoped this new system will better those odds and save lives.
List of Hospitals: Primary Stroke Services
Bay State Med Center
Mass. General Hospital
Berkshire Medical Center
Mercy Hospital
BIDMC - Boston
MetroWest - Framingham
BIDMC - Needham
MetroWest - Natick
Boston Medical Center
Milton Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Morton Hospital
Brockton Hospital
Mt. Auburn Hospital
Caritas Carney Hospital
Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Caritas Good Samaritan
Saints Memorial Med Center
Caritas Holy Family Hospital
outh Shore Hospital
Caritas Norwood Hospital
St. Vincent Hospital
Caritas St. Elizabeth's Med Center
Sturdy Memorial Hospital
Emerson Hospital
Tufts-New England Med Center
Harrington Memorial Hospital
UMass Memorial Med Center -- Memorial
Lawrence General Hospital
UMass Memorial Med Center -- University
Lowell GeneralWinchester Hospital
Mary and Arthur Clapham Hospital - Lahey Clinic
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Rhonda Mann Reports On Strokes
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