Tobey Hospital is among three Southcoast Health hospitals to be recognized nationally for “excellent” stroke care in 2023, according to Southcoast officials.

The hospital received the following awards: Get With The Guidelines — Stroke Gold Plus, Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Elite with a Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

According to Southcoast officials, the American Heart Association holds the “Get With the Guidelines — Stroke” awards in order to recognize hospitals that work on improving and promoting “consistent adherence to the latest scientific treatment of stroke.”

A stroke is a medical condition in which a person experiences a brain bleed or blood supply is blocked from reaching the brain, according to the Center for Disease Control. Every 40 seconds in the U.S. someone has a stroke, with more than 795,000 people experiencing one every year.

Strokes remain the leading cause of serious long-term disability in the country, according to the Center for Disease Control.

Tobey and the other two Southcoast hospitals were also recognized by the U.S. News and World Report as “high performing” in five procedures and conditions this year, including heart attack, heart failure, stroke, diabetes, colon cancer surgery as well as providing in maternity care access services.

“We are honored to once again earn this recognition from the American Heart Association and the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program for clinical excellence in stroke care across the region,” said Daniel Sacchetti, stroke director for Southcoast Health. 

“This recognition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to our patients and community,” Sacchetti said. “I am tremendously proud of the entire Southcoast team of physicians, providers, nurses and staff who provide top-notch stroke care every day.”  

Southcoast Health officials recommend everyone learn and know the key signs and symptoms of a stroke. One way to remember the signs is through the acronym “F.A.S.T.”:

          Face: Does the face look uneven? Ask the person to smile 

          Arm: Does one arm drift down? Ask the person to raise both arms 

          Speech: Does the speech sound strange? Ask the person to repeat a phrase 

          Time: If you observe these symptoms, call 9-1-1