BOSTON -- Last year, if you had a stroke in Massachusetts, not every hospital could have saved your life. That's when the state stepped in, implementing a new program to better treat stroke patients.

NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported Wednesday that one year later, experts met to talk about the impact.

Every minute counts after a stroke. Quick diagnosis and treatment is the key to survival and limiting disability. Last year, the state set out to make all acute care hospitals experts in treating strokes.

Before, many hospitals were unable to provide quick testing for suspected stroke victims. Now 68 hospitals out of 73 in Massachusetts are licensed stroke centers -- compared to 33 last year.

"Whether you live in a small town or a big city somewhere, right nearby is a hospital that is certified as a stroke center," Massachusetts General Hospital's Dr. Lee Schwamm said.

The designated hospitals can service stroke patients 24 hours a day. Specialists are always on call. Stroke expertise is necessary to administer TPA -- a clot-busting drug that if given within a certain window can stop a common stroke.

"Patients are 30 percent more likely to return to a normal, independent life if they get this medicine compared to if they don't," Schwamm said.

Stroke experts from New England discussed the impact of the program. According to the Department of Public Health, the percentage of patients eligible to receive TPA increased 50 percent from last year.

The smallest hospitals use a video link to larger facilities. They have on call experts who can decide if TPA is appropriate, because the drug is deadly if given to the wrong patient.

"We're able to bring our expertise to the bedside of our hospital that is 20 miles away," Berkshire Medical Center's Deborah Jewell said.

Maggie Fermental knows how important time is when you suffer a stroke. It took a week before she was diagnosed. She believes her life could be different now.

"If they had recognized the stroke earlier, I could have been treated earlier," she said.