Primary Stroke Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton Earns Honors from American Heart Association

UM Shore Regional Health recently was notified that UM Shore Medical Center at Easton's Primary Stroke Center received the 2023 Get With The Guidelines®- Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement award from the American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association (ASA) and is included in ASA's Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. This is the eighth consecutive year that UM SRH's Primary Stroke Center has received the Stroke Gold Plus award.

UM Shore Medical Center at Easton is a University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) facility; UM SRH is a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System. These achievements highlight UM SRH's commitment to providing the most effective stroke treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence and its dedication to prioritizing quality care for stroke patients.

"This is a significant achievement for any medical institution and shows that UM Shore Regional Health provides state-of-the-art, patient-centered stroke care for our communities," said Rena Sukhdeo Singh, MD, Medical Director of the Primary Stroke Center. "We are honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association for our dedication to helping patients have the best possible chance of survival and recovery following a stroke. Our exceptional team members and members of our emergency response teams throughout the region deserve recognition for these awards, including our Emergency Medical Service providers, our Emergency Department teams, our Stroke Coordinator Nicole Leonard, our entire Brain Attack Team, and the nurses on our neurology/telemetry unit."

To honor team members and departments who play a key role in working with the Primary Stroke Center, members of the senior leadership team and other management delivered the good news and ice cream to several departments, including the Intensive Care Unit, and the Telemetry and Emergency Departments.

Stroke is among the top five causes of death and the leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. Each year, strokes take the lives of more than 130,000 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. UM Shore Regional Health provides stroke care to approximately 600 patients every year.

UM Shore Medical Center at Easton was designated as a Primary Stroke Center in 2007. A Primary Stroke Center designation is given by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) when standards are met to support better outcomes for stroke care. Certification standards include having a dedicated program staffed 24/7 by specially trained medical professionals who provide fast diagnostic services and optimal stroke care.

Additional information about the Primary Stroke Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton can be found at UMShoreRegional.org/stroke.