By LOIS KINDLE
lekindle@aol.com
COURTESY PHOTO
Valencia Lakes residents Tom and Robyn Payant recently donated funding for the addition of a fourth Tele-Specialist Stroke Cart for St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview. They are co-hosting the May 7 Stroke Awareness Event at Community Hall in Sun City Center with St. Joseph’s South and the SCC Emergency Squad.
Any stroke is a medical emergency. Every minute that passes reduces treatment options and raises the likelihood of lasting brain damage and long term disability. It’s literally a race against the clock the moment symptoms begin.
That’s why it’s critical to know the signs and symptoms of a stroke and how new, life-saving technology makes all the difference in what happens after. Toward that end, St. Joseph’s Hospital-South, Valencia Lakes residents Robyn and Tom Payant and the Sun City Center Emergency Squad have partnered to host a Stroke Awareness Event, Thursday, May 7, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Community Hall, 1910 Pebble Beach Blvd. S, Sun City Center. The gathering will include a Q&A and light refreshments.
Open to the public, the free event will give residents the chance to hear the latest from St. Joseph Hospital-South’s ER nurse manager Vanessa Murphy and ER assistant medical director Dr. Richard Rodriguez, including news about the addition of a much-needed fourth Tele-Specialist Stroke Cart — made possible by a generous donation from the Payants.
“When the Payants were inspired to give this past December, they really wanted to include some kind of education component on stroke awareness for community residents, especially in and around Sun City Center,” said Jane Alkire, Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation Board member. “This free, upcoming event will be a convenient great opportunity to learn about the newest information on strokes and available treatments.”
That also includes learning about the features of the Tele-specialist Stroke Cart.
When the ER gets a stroke alert from an ambulance crew enroute, its stroke team is waiting at the door and takes the
ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL SOUTH PHOTO
St. Joseph’s Hospital-South ER and hospital team members and management are seen standing with a Tele-Specialist Stroke Cart in front of an ambulance ER entrance.
patient for an immediate CT scan upon arrival. This is where the Tele-Specialist Stroke Cart plays a critical role.
Its tele-medicine capabilities make it possible for the ER stroke team to consult in real time with an off-site neurologist to ensure rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatments.
“We get a quicker consultation with a neurologist who’s already on camera when the patient arrives and collaborates with the emergency room doctor and consults with the patient or their family,” Murphy said. “The neurologist on-screen actually watches the live, CT scan to make recommendations.”
This same protocol applies to stroke alert from elsewhere in the hospital and walk-in patients.
Philanthropy has always been woven into the Payants’ lives. Robyn Payant currently serves as a member of the Philanthropic Women of St. Joseph's and her husband, Tom, sits on the board of the St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation.
“Our careers in wealth management taught us the importance of stewardship, of using your resources to improve not only your own life but the lives of others,” Robyn Payant said. “For us, giving back to the community we love is a reflection of gratitude.”
“Over the years, we had so many clients who were unable to get treatment fast enough and suffered either permanent damage or died,” Tom Payant said. “That’s why we made the request to have a stroke awareness event in the community. We want them to know that every second counts when a stroke occurs, so knowing the signs, acting quickly and getting the best care are critical.”
ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL SOUTH PHOTO
Pictured with a Tele-Specialist Stroke Cart in a St. Joseph’s Hospital-South CT scan room are ER assistant nurse manager Christi Peyton, left; ER nurse manager Vanessa Murphy; and Patient Services director Rita Smith.
Both of the Payants hope their recent gift ensures residents of all ages have access to exceptional, nonprofit healthcare close to home.
“If our support makes even one family’s hardest day a little easier or helps save even one life, then it has made the impact we hoped for,” Robyn Payant said.
St. Joseph’s Hospital-South is a not-for-profit, primary healthcare facility serving the South Shore area. For more information about it or the St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation and its exceptional Stroke and Neuroscience program, visit www.sjhfoundation.org/ or call 813-872-0979.