On Thursday, in collaboration with The Helmsley Charitable Trust, the American Heart Association (AHA) gathered at Oahu’s Washington Place to offer a lifeline for stroke patients — including those on Kauai.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green, M.D., announced on April 10 that the Helmsley Charitable Trust, in collaboration with the AHA, has pledged $6.8 million to advance its initiative, Lifeline Stroke, which aims to enhance stroke care throughout the state.
“When it comes to stroke, every second counts,” stated Governor Green. “As Governor and a physician, I am deeply committed to improving healthcare for all our residents. This initiative is a transformative step in ensuring that even our most rural communities have access to lifesaving stroke care.
“By enhancing coordination among emergency responders, hospitals, and healthcare providers, we can deliver timely and effective treatment to every stroke patient, including rehabilitation and access to post-acute care facilities, no matter where they live.”
Mission: Lifeline Stroke is a program that focuses on connecting all components of stroke care into a smoother system that reinforces evidence-based guidelines, identifying gaps to improve and enhance hope.
Stroke is the number three cause of death in Hawaii and is the number one cause of disability across the islands.
Stroke survivor and AHA volunteer Colleen Griffin recounted a transformative experience in April 2022. One morning, she awoke with numbness on the right side of her body, marking a significant turning point in her life.
Following several dismissals from her healthcare providers, she began to exhibit facial drooping, which prompted her seven-year-old son to recognize that she was experiencing a stroke. He had recently learned the AHA’s stroke awareness song, ‘F.A.S.T.,’ which equipped him with the knowledge to identify the symptoms of a stroke that ultimately saved her life.
“Looking back, I can’t help but wonder,” said Griffin, “What if ‘Mission: Lifeline Stroke’ had been in place then? What if I had gotten rapid treatment from the moment I sought help? I might not be standing here today with the same challenges I now live with, but today isn’t about what could have been; it’s about what will be.
“I am really glad to see Mission: Lifeline Stroke come to Hawaii so that other people can have access to the rapid coordinated care they need even in rural communities and across the islands,” she said.
Walter Panzier, a trustee for the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable, also discussed the importance of cardiovascular health and emphasized to the community that; “Your zip code should not determine your healthcare outcomes,” and added, “At the Helmsley Trust, we are all about changing that and want to fill the gaps— fill the pukas, when it comes to stroke care.
“This will not only provide coordinated stroke care from the beginning of the onset of strokes so when someone first learns to recognize that a stroke is happening and engage with emergency services, not only will that care start there, but continue through hospital treatment and more importantly post-acute care because it’s so important that the community receives proper post-acute care. We have care, and the community understands what services are available and at which facilities, so they can make an important decision on where to go,” he said.
Mission: Lifeline Stroke will further strengthen and collaborate with diverse stakeholders across the state, representing local hospitals, the Hawaii Stroke Coalition, the Hawaii Department of Health, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) champions to guide a statewide stroke system of care.
“We are proud to lead this initiative in collaboration with Hawaii’s leaders, ensuring that patients—regardless of where they live—have access to timely, high-quality stroke care,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association.
“The Mission: Lifeline Stroke initiative is a groundbreaking effort to enhance stroke care across the Hawaiian Islands, reinforcing our commitment to advancing equitable health for all.”
For further information on Mission: Lifeline Stroke or how to spot a stroke by learning the American Heart Association’s awareness song F.A.S.T., visit stroke.org.
