Stroke Care

Nationally Recognized Stroke Care in Central Massachusetts and Beyond

UMass Memorial Health stroke services are available in locations throughout the region. Our commitment to stroke excellence has earned UMass Memorial Medical Center prestigious distinction from:

• American Heart Association/American Stroke Association: We earned the Get With the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Award for achieving quality measures for 24 consecutive months.
• American Heart Association/American Stroke Association: We maintain Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus status for consistently administering clot-busting medication to appropriate patients within the target time frame.
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health: We are proud to be recognized as a primary stroke center. 
• The Joint Commission: We are a Gold Seal of Approval, Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center, the highest designation a hospital can achieve.

What Is Stroke?

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain is blocked or ruptured. It can quickly cause life-altering complications and disability, which is why prompt care is essential. Receiving services from a trusted program like UMass Memorial gives you the best chance for successful recovery.

If you are experiencing stroke-like symptoms, call 911. Do not attempt to drive yourself to the hospital.

Types of Stroke We Treat

At UMass Memorial, you receive expert care for any type of brain attack, including: 

• Hemorrhagic stroke
• Ischemic stroke
• Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

Our Stroke Care Services

We offer a broad range of services to prevent, treat and help you recover from stroke. Our services include:

Emergency Stroke Assessments

A highly skilled team is on standby 24/7 to provide immediate care. Stroke specialists are in emergency departments throughout the region. Some locations have neuroimaging services with advanced capabilities right in the emergency department, enabling us to quickly pinpoint the stroke type and severity.

Immediate Stroke Treatment

We often treat ischemic stroke with clot-busting drugs and other medications. For hemorrhagic stroke, we may use flow-diverter technology, coils and other techniques to stop the bleed. Neurointerventional radiologists frequently deliver these therapies using real-time imaging and minimally invasive techniques that are gentler on your body.

Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation

You start your recovery in our intensive care unit (ICU), where specially trained nurses and stroke neurologists monitor you around the clock. An additional team of skilled stroke experts provides monitoring remotely through our eICU.

As you start feeling better, experienced therapists deliver inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services that optimize your independence. We help you safely get moving again, overcome speech difficulties and cope with changes in your abilities.

Stroke Prevention

UMass Memorial starts caring for many people before they experience a stroke, with services that include: 

• Stroke Prevention Clinic develops a personalized plan that may include medications to address risk factors like high blood pressure. 
• Cerebrovascular Disease Program is for more concerning risk factors, like partial blood vessel blockages in your brain. Highly skilled neurosurgeons perform procedures to restore blood flow.