By Cecilia Nasmith
The six-bed Rose and Bob Avery Integrated Stroke Unit was officially launched at Northumberland Hills Hospital Tuesday, coming to fruition after several years of dedicated work by an enthusiastic team of supporters.
President and Chief Executive Officer Susan Walsh welcomed a contingent of board members, volunteers, members of the Patient and Family Advisory Council and allied Health Team, and other supporters big enough to fill the Main Street Bistro for the announcement.
The ISU (as the acronym goes) is situated in the NHH Rehabilitation Unit and, as Walsh said, will allow NHH staff to offer both acute and recovery care for stroke patients in one location by committed physicians and specially trained dedicated professionals.
Chief of Staff Dr. Mukesh Bhargava said it will also make possible care closer to home for those diagnosed with the fourth-most-feared diagnosis in the world (after cancer, Alzheimer's Disease and heart disease, in that order).
Having both acute and rehabilitation care offered in the same space, with no need for a transfer between units, will reduce the time lag before starting rehabilitation – which has been shown to result in better patient outcomes.
“One out of every three patients in the stroke unit will benefit with either having less disability or living longer,” Dr. Bhargava stated.
“Not many health-care interventions have that one-in-three rate.”
NHH Foundation Chief Executive Officer Rhonda Cunningham said the unit began with a call she got in the fall of 2021.
“On the other end was a man who introduced himself as Ray Gupta. He was looking for a way to honour the memory of some people who were really important to him – Rose and Bob Avery,” Cunningham recalled.
They were familiar names to many at NHH as well. The couple worked for Gupta at his Port Hope business until Bob had a stroke and ended up at the hospital – with his wife visiting every day.
“She spent so much time here, she became one of us,” Cunningham recalled.
“Ray and his family also cared deeply about Rose and Bob.”
Bob died in 2018, and Rose followed two years later.
“Ray wanted to ensure they would be remembered,” she said.
“I love these phone calls – being able to connect the dots and take a project that is so important to our community, introducing a new service while, at the same time, working with the generous hearts of people to make this magic come together.”
Vice-President of Integrated Care and Chief Nursing Executive Kate Zimmerman introduced Clinical Project Manager Jennifer White, Clinical Director Danielle Ferreira and Clinical Unit Manager Karen Parks who played a leadership role in forming the unit.
“The three of them led a team of nurses, nurse-practitioners, nurse educators, rehab team members in physiotherapy and occupational therapy, speech-and-language pathologists and rehab assistants, and a physician representative,” Zimmerman said.
“We also had a Family Advisory Council presence who brought invaluable expertise and perspective, who of whom brought lived experience of stroke.”
On a regional level, she added, partnerships have been established that, for example, will make this service available to stroke patients from Campbellford Memorial Hospital. Another partnership with the March of Dimes will provide a peer-support program.
Gupta was in attendance at the launch and delighted to see his wish reach fruition.
“Rose and Bob were dedicated members of our team and became family to us,” he said.
“They looked after everything with care and passion.
“My family wanted to honour their memory in a significant way within the community they loved. We will continue to look for other opportunities within the community to do more in their memory.”
Opening this unit, in effect, checks one long-range goal off the list of needed updates and innovations announced this spring when the Foundation launched its $25-million Exceptional Community, Exceptional Care campaign – a list that includes such projects as replacing the MRI and CT scanners, redeveloping the pharmacy and adding a fourth operating room.
Stay tuned for more announcements as the campaign goes on, Cunningham said.
