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Harrisonville, MO – Cass Regional Medical Center celebrated a “Great Save” October 30 by reuniting a team of medical professionals with a patient they successfully treated for a stroke earlier this year.

“Often members of a patient’s health care team – including first responders and hospital nursing and ancillary staff – are the first people to take care of the patient but do not get to see the patient’s outcome or realize the impact they made on that person’s life,” explained Jay Sebelien, chief nursing officer. “From the patient’s perspective, they have no idea who was involved in saving their life, and are not given the opportunity to thank them. The Great Save program is designed to bring the health care team and the patient back together to celebrate a positive outcome,” he added.

The event reunited patient Kathleen Huseman with personnel from Harrisonville Medical Clinic, the Harrisonville Fire Department, Cass Regional Medical Center, and AMR.

Tim Gillam, stroke program coordinator, shared that on February 5, Huseman went to her primary care provider’s office at Harrisonville Medical Clinic for a routine appointment. While there, her husband shared with the staff that Huseman had just started exhibiting symptoms of a headache and vomiting, along with trouble speaking and following commands. The staff quickly recognized that she was likely having a stroke, and called 911. First responders from the Harrisonville Fire Department arrived within a few minutes and transported Huseman to Cass Regional’s Emergency Department, where she was evaluated and given a clot-busting medication. Huseman was then transported by AMR to a Kansas City-area hospital for further care. Before she left Cass Regional, her symptoms had started to improve.

Courtney Shillington, director of emergency services, and Jeff Lee, assistant chief nursing officer, presented recognition certificates to the 18 medical professionals who were involved in Huseman’s local care and transfer to the next level of care. They included: nursing assistant Candice McGee, nurse practitioner Lisa Burke, and medical assistant Lindsay Daniels from Harrisonville Medical Clinic; paramedics Dru Jordan and Morgan Driggs, and EMT Jill Zimmerman, from the Harrisonville Fire Department; nurses Julia Robbins and Michelle Overturf, physician Dinesh Patel, CT technologists Martha York and Lauren Nitzschke, pharmacists James Falconer and Cale Schneider, phlebotomist April Winters, medical technologist Erin Parrish, and medical laboratory scientist Emily Roof, all from Cass Regional Medical Center; and paramedic David Hughes and EMT Jacob Foster from AMR.

Huseman, a Harrisonville resident and retired Harrisonville Schools staff member, also expressed her appreciation for the medical team.

“Without your exceptional and dedicated care, I would not be standing here today,” Huseman said. “I can’t say thank you enough. The roles each of you played on February 5th saved my life. I remember very little of that day. But ever since, when I would see an ambulance crew or someone in scrubs out and about, I often would wonder if they were part of the team that treated me. It is so nice to put it all together and meet my heroes,” she continued. “You are God’s angels on earth. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am so grateful for you.”

After closing remarks from Chief Executive Officer Chris Lang, Huseman and her care team met in front of the hospital for a group photo. The celebration ended with a cake and punch reception.

“Kathleen had a positive outcome because she received timely treatment,” noted Gillam. “It is vitally important to get care quickly when a stroke happens, and an easy acronym to remember is FAST, which stands for face, arms, speech and time,” he explained. “If you notice someone’s face drooping or they’re unable to smile, if they’re unable to lift either one of their arms, if they have trouble with speech – it’s time to call 911.”

About Cass Regional Medical Center

Cass Regional Medical Center is a critical access hospital that maintains a 21-bed medical/surgical unit, a four-bed intensive care unit, and a 10-bed behavioral health unit. Services provided by Cass Regional include emergency care; general and specialty surgery; and rehabilitation services which include nationally-recognized cardiac rehabilitation and diabetes education programs. The hospital offers advanced diagnostic capabilities such as MRI, CT and PET-CT scanning, digital and 3D mammography, nuclear medicine and a nationally-accredited sleep study lab.