“We aim to provide the best care for our patients, and the newly created a full-time Stroke Coordinator position in Ballarat will help us enhance the support for our patients,” said Dr Mandy Lau, Head of Neurology at Grampians Health.  

“Stroke is the third cause of morbidity and mortality in Australia, with the Grampians region experiencing a higher rate of people living with a stroke than the state average.  

“At Grampians Health, as the primary Stroke Care Centre in the region, we care for over 200 confirmed Stroke and 600 suspected Stroke patients every year from across Western Victoria. All our patients require both immediate care to minimise damage and longer-term support to ensure the best-possible outcome.” 

Casey Hair, who shares this Stroke Coordinator role with her colleague Shannon O’Connor, said their role will improve patient outcomes for stroke patients in Ballarat and across Western Victoria.  

“We will play a central role in all stages of the stroke journey from primary prevention and recognition of stroke through to rehabilitation and community care. The stroke coordinator works closely with all members of the multidisciplinary team to provide excellent stroke care that is person centred, evidence based and collaborative. 

“In addition to immediate patient care, we also provide education and training to other staff and work on quality improvement projects and data collection. This allows Grampians Health to continuously improve protocols and guidelines, ultimately to improve the care we provide to our patients.” 

The new Stroke Coordinator role is part of a broader initiative within the Grampians Local Health Services Network (GLHSN). This initiative sees Casey Hair seconded as both the Grampians Regional Stroke Care Co-ordinator, and her shared role as Ballarat Stroke Coordinator.  

The Grampians Regional Stroke Care Co-ordinator role is an innovative approach to improving stroke care within the Grampians region by sharing knowledge, experience, resources and creating a network that benefits all people within the Grampians region affected by stroke’. 

As we mark National Stroke Week from 4 – 10 August, Grampians Health stroke team is encouraging the community to know the F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech and Time) signs of stroke so that they can save a life. 

Catherine Hamilton was spending a quiet afternoon at home with her one-year-old twins, her six-year-old and her husband when she became overwhelmingly tired, with an excruciating headache. Then she collapsed. Her husband, Lachie, immediately suspected that Catherine had suffered a stroke – prior to collapsing, her speech was slurred, and one side of her face had dropped.  

Ms Hamilton explains what happened. “I’m living proof of the importance of recognising the F.A.S.T symptoms. My husband called an ambulance, and I was transferred to the Emergency Department of Ballarat Base Hospital where I received the clot-busting medication. It was only after this intervention that I came to consciousness.  

“The team at the Base arranged for me to be transferred to Monash Health to have clot removal surgery, but thankfully by the time I had a CT scan prior to this surgery, the clot has dissolved,” Ms Hamilton said.  

“Thanks to the fast actions of my husband and the prompt care I received, I was out of hospital within a few days and only needed a few weeks of rehabilitation with a physiotherapist to regain strength.” 

“Unfortunately, many stroke patients are not as fortunate as Ms Hamilton,” Dr Lau said. 

“Knowing and recognising the F.A.S.T symptoms can save a life, and we urge everyone to be aware of this.”