LifeFlight Eagle to receive Spot a Stroke awards from Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City during National EMS Week
Molli James’ husband already had left for work the Friday morning she suffered a stroke at their Calhoun, Mo. home. One moment she was fine. The next, something was terribly wrong with her right side. Molli’s mother had been a nurse, so she quickly realized she was having a stroke. She staggered to the bedroom for the phone. Believing she had one call to save her life, she dialed 9-1-1.
Local paramedics arrived and prepared James to be transported by LifeFlight Eagle to Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, where emergency treatment was waiting. During every second of a stroke 32,000 brain cells are lost, so air transport is crucial for those who live far from a designated stroke hospital. Pilot Stewart Albert landed LifeFlight Eagle’s specially equipped medical helicopter in James’ front yard, and she was loaded inside for the short 36-minute trip to Saint Luke’s. Flight paramedic Mike Hagen reassured her while he and Flight Nurse Deborah Joy provided advanced medical care. The aircraft raced to Kansas City at more than 120 miles per hour.
Meanwhile, LifeFlight Eagle Communication Specialist Kevin Seaquist notified Saint Luke’s Hospital that James was en route and suffering a stroke. Upon her arrival, a stroke team was waiting to administer a CT scan, give the clot-busting drug tPA and reverse the stroke using neuro intervention. What could have been a nearly two-hour transport through rush-hour traffic in a ground ambulance was much shorter because of LifeFlight Eagle’s helicopter transport, which saved valuable time and brain function.
Three days after suffering a moderately severe stroke, James was discharged from the hospital to her home with little residual effect. Quick thinking, fast transport and experienced teams both in the air and on the ground saved her life.
At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 stroke survivors Molli James and Bobby Lambeth will join a team from Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute to present LifeFlight Eagle crews with the Spot a Stroke award for quick action taken during a stroke. Teams from LifeFlight Eagle will receive awards and pins at a ceremony to be held at Central Jackson County Fire Protection District, located at 4715 East U.S. Highway 40 in Blue Springs, Mo.
Photo Opportunities
8:30 – 9 a.m. – four LifeFlight Eagle aircraft are scheduled to land on site prior to the beginning of the award presentation.
9 a.m. – Two stroke patients will reunion with the crews that brought them to the hospital for life-saving stroke treatment.
9:10 a.m. – The two patients plus a team from Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute will present Spot a Stroke awards to the crews.
Crew members involved in the flights/to receive awards:
Stroke survivor Bobby Lambeth – Pilot Linn Carper, Flight Nurse Jennifer Hacker, Flight Paramedic Andrew Umland, Communication Specialist John Duffy
Stroke survivor Molli James – Pilot Stewart Albert, Flight Nurse Deborah Joy, Flight Paramedic Mike Hagen, Communication Specialist Kevin Seaquist
“Every minute counts when it comes to a stroke,” said Jay McClintick, EMS Relations and Neuroscience Outreach Coordinator at Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute. “LifeFlight Eagle provides essential time-saving transport to the hospital, saving lives and neurologic function for stroke patients. Mrs. James and Mr. Lambeth ultimately received the proper care, and have been able to return to the lives they love. LifeFlight Eagle is an excellent example of how EMS providers are making a huge difference in stroke outcomes.”
Signs and symptoms of a stroke include:
- Sudden weakness on one side of the body
- Sudden numbness on one side of the body
- Sudden loss of vision – especially in one eye
- Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding
- Sudden severe headache
When it comes to stroke, time is of the essence. If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms, do not delay. Immediately call 9-1-1 or seek treatment at your nearest hospital emergency room.
Are you at risk for stroke? Saint Luke’s offers a free online Stroke Risk Assessment here.
About Saint Luke’s Health System
Saint Luke’s Health System consists of 10 area hospitals and several primary and specialty care practices, and provides a range of inpatient, outpatient, and home care services. Founded as a faith-based, not-for-profit organization, our mission includes a commitment to the highest levels of excellence in health care and the advancement of medical research and education. The health system is an aligned organization in which the physicians and hospitals assume responsibility for enhancing the physical, mental, and spiritual health of people in the metropolitan Kansas City area and the surrounding region.