Quick action helps Angel Medical Center employee after stroke: 'We're like family here'

When Tina Elliot, a longtime employee at Angel Medical Center, began stumbling over her words at the end of her shift last October, it could have been dismissed as just another exhausting day. But her supervisor, Trisha Giles, knew better. That quick recognition — and a rapid response by the hospital team — may have saved Tina’s life.

Tina, who works the front registration desk and often serves as the first face patients see at the hospital, had just stepped away from her post and was getting ready to leave for the day when she began stuttering and feeling confused. “I couldn’t even remember how to clock out — something I’ve done hundreds of times,” Tina recalled.

Trisha, Patient Access Manager at AMC for the past 13 years, had a gut feeling. She knew Tina had a history of stroke. Acting fast, she got Tina a wheelchair and called a rapid response alert. Within moments, Tina was rushed to the emergency room.

Thanks to the swift coordination of the emergency team, clot-busting medication was administered just 29 minutes after Tina entered the ER. That critical “door-to-needle” time is well below the national average of 50-60 minutes and even faster than the 40-minute benchmark set by HCA Healthcare.

“This is what we practice for,” said Cara Smith, RN, director of clinical operations at AMC. “Even though Tina was one of us, this is how our team cares for everyone who comes here.”

Tina was airlifted to HCA Healthcare’s Mission Hospital in Asheville for further care. “I was already feeling better in the helicopter,” she said. “I could talk again, and I wasn’t as confused.” She stayed at Mission for four days, where she said the care was so thorough she never even had to press the call button.

Now fully recovered, Tina has no lasting deficits from the stroke. “Because of the quick action of everyone at AMC, the damage to my brain is the size of a fingertip,” she said. “If Trisha didn’t know me so well, she might not have acted so quickly.”

That personal connection — the kind only a tight-knit hospital community can offer — made all the difference. “We’re like family at AMC,” Trisha said. “I wasn’t completely sure it was a stroke, but I had a feeling. I’m just so grateful I was there.”

AMC staff, clinical or not, are trained to recognize the signs of stroke using the BEFAST acronym:

• B - Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination
• E - Eyes: Vision changes, like blurred or double vision
• F - Face: Facial drooping or uneven smile
• A - Arm: Weakness or numbness
• S - Speech: Slurred or difficult speech
• T - Time: Call 911 immediately

“If you ever feel like you’re having stroke symptoms, come to AMC — they know what they’re doing,” Tina said

As every second counts in stroke treatment, Tina’s story is not only a powerful reminder of the importance of awareness and speed — but also of the life-saving impact of a compassionate, well-prepared team and knowing you can get the care you need so close to home.