Milford Regional Awarded 10K Grant for "Spot a Stroke" Awareness Initiative

Milford Regional Medical Center, in collaboration with Community Emergency Medical Services and the Milford Fire Department, was awarded a $10,000 grant to fund its “Spot a Stroke” public awareness campaign. The grant was sponsored by MORE Advertising headquartered in Watertown.

The grant monies financed the production of three educational videos on stroke awareness. Each video will be available in English, with Spanish and Portuguese subtitled versions in order to promote health equity and reflect the diverse population of the hospital’s service region.

The primary video kicking off the campaign features Milford Regional Medical Center Emergency Department physician Karen DeFazio, MD, discussing the signs and symptoms of a stroke and the critical timeliness of calling 911. The second video features Milford Regional Medical Center neurologist Eliezer Sternberg, MD, providing an overview of the testing and treatment necessary when a stroke occurs. The final video features Milford Regional Medical Center vascular neurologist Adalia Jun-O’Connell, MD, discussing stroke prevention and cardiovascular health.

Milford Regional’s Quality and Safety Specialist and Stroke Coordinator Kristen Kalalas, RN, applied for the grant on behalf of the hospital’s Stroke Committee. Kalalas explained that regardless of age, background or language, the foremost purpose of the campaign is to educate individuals to recognize stroke symptoms for themselves, loved ones and neighbors and to act quickly.

“Our goal is to educate the public to recognize the signs and symptoms of stroke and the importance of a timely presentation to the Emergency Department by activating Emergency Medical Services (911),” Kalalas explained. “There is a limited window of time for some therapies to potentially reverse a devastating disability from a stroke. Life-saving treatment begins immediately upon the arrival of EMS.”

The videos are posted on Milford Regional’s website at milfordregional.org/spotastroke.

Additionally, flyers containing the link and a QR code will be distributed at Milford Regional satellite locations, as well as community organizations within the hospital’s service region including senior centers, public safety departments, and libraries, among others.

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Milford Regional Medical Center is a full-service, community and regional teaching hospital located in Milford, Mass. and serves patients from more than 20 towns in Central Massachusetts. The 148-bed medical center is a nonprofit, acute-care facility, where more than 300 primary care and specialty physicians are committed to providing exceptional healthcare services to our community with dignity, compassion and respect.