33 ERs are designated stroke centers

Thirty-three of the state's 74 emergency rooms have been named "primary stroke services" where ambulances will take potential stroke victims beginning March 1, state officials announced last week.

The Department of Public Health requires stroke services to provide around-the-clock stroke care and to administer a drug called t-PA that can limit damage from the leading type of stroke if given within three hours.

"This is the first time in the country that a department of public health is making stroke treatment a statewide priority," said Dr. Lee Schwamm, a stroke specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Though some regions do not have a stroke center nearby, state officials say they expect that most hospitals statewide will qualify soon, including 10 or more in the next two months.