Monday August 3, 2026
“The quicker we treat a stroke patient, the quicker their recovery can begin. Every minute that we save is vital for recovery outcomes.” Tanya Frost, Stroke Clinical Nurse Consultant.
National Stroke Week (3-9 August) highlights the important and lifesaving work our Stroke nurses and doctors do every day. This year’s theme is “F.A.S.T Heroes” recognising the people who spotted the signs of stroke and called an ambulance straight away.
F.A.S.T (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) includes the three most common signs of stroke. (Face dropping, Arm Weakness and Speech difficulty)
As the only health service in Victoria with two certified stroke units, Eastern Health is helping more people access specialised stroke care when every minute counts.
Eastern Health Box Hill has long been recognised for delivering outstanding patient care, earning Diamond Status twice through the World Stroke Organisation’s Angels Awards Program. Additionally, they have previously been recognised as having the fastest “Door to needle” time in the country, providing exemplary care to our community.
Building on this success, Eastern Health Maroondah has now achieved certification as a 4 bed-stoke unit with in-hours thrombolysis capability, meeting nationally recognised standards for the care of people with stroke.
Stoke Neurologist, Clinical Lead – Stroke and Deputy Director Department of Neuroscience, at Eastern Health Dr. Philip Choi, is proud of the care that is provided at Eastern Health Maroondah “achieving certification means that the care we provide is of a high standard.”
Clinical Nurse Consultant Tanya Frost tells of the importance of the community having access to high standards of Stroke care closer to home.
“Certification provides assurance that patients experiencing a stroke can receiver high-quality care. Reflecting Eastern Health Maroondah’s commitment to providing safe effective patient centred stroke care.”
“It demonstrates that patients admitted with stroke can access specialised assessment, treatment and ongoing management within a dedicated stroke service.”
As for plans for the future of stroke care at Eastern Health, work is underway at Eastern Health Box Hill, to have a biplane angiography suite, which will enable complex neurovascular procedures to be performed within Eastern Health.
And for Eastern Health Maroondah, the stroke team will continue to focus on enhancing access to acute stroke therapies and continuing to work towards expanding and enhancing stroke services.
As National Stroke Week shines a light on F.A.S.T Heroes, Eastern Health is encouraging the community to know the signs of stroke and call Triple Zero (000) immediately if they occur.
With certified stroke units at both Box Hill and Maroondah hospitals, more people than ever can access specialised stroke care closer to home, because when it comes to stroke, every minute counts.
