Trinity Medical Center’s Neuro Coordinator

Neurological emergencies can happen at any time. Though not every hospital has a neurology department with a neurologist and neurosurgeon on staff, health care facilities in the Birmingham area and outlying counties do have a number they can call to save precious time getting patients the specialized help they need.

The person who answers the phone is Trinity Medical Center’s Neuro Coordinator.

“We started the Neuro Coordinator program last summer to expedite transfers and move patients rapidly to the care they need,” Rusty Maraman, RN, Nursing Director for Trinity Medical Center’s neuro ICU, said. “The coordinator follows up during treatment and helps with the transition when patients are ready for rehabilitation or to go home.”

Neuro Coordinator Steve Davis, RN, said, “We gather information about the patient’s condition and any EEG, imaging and medical records available and get them to the neurologist or neurosurgeon. We can arrange for transport, and while the patient is in transit, we set up cat scans, special labs or blood transfusions as needed. If the neurosurgeon thinks surgery may be necessary, we alert surgical teams and have an OR ready when the patient arrives.”

Davis was the Neuro Coordinator on duty the day a vivid example of the value of his work in a crisis began.

“The snow was coming down fast,” Maraman said. “Travel was quickly becoming impossible. We had a patient in serious condition who needed to be evaluated by a neurosurgeon. The problem was that the neurosurgeon was six miles away, on the other side of steep, snow-covered terrain, helping with another surgery. Steve got on the phone to call Dr. Zenko Hrynkiw while we rounded up a volunteer with an SUV to try to make it through to get him.”

Davis took the story from there.” When I sent images to Dr. Hrynkiw’s phone, he could see right away that the situation was urgent. The patient needed surgery as soon as possible to deal with the bleeding in his brain, or he wasn’t likely to survive.”

When it was obvious that the doctor’s car wasn’t going to make it through the mounting snow, he began to walk. The SUV driver trying to reach him tried route after route, only to find the way blocked so he had to keep doubling back and trying to find another way through.

“Meanwhile, although the weather was affecting phone service, Dr. Hrynkiw were able to exchange updates on the patient’s condition, care instructions, and the doctor’s progress as he walked through the snow,” Davis said. “He told me to gather the surgical team, prep the patient and have everything in place and ready to go. When Dr. Hrynkiw walked through the doors--ahead of the SUV that had gone out to find him--he was able to go straight to the OR to start the surgery that saved the patient’s life.”