UMHC stroke education team wins national award

The National Stroke Association selected the University of Mississippi Health Care Multidisciplinary Team as a recipient of the inaugural Raising Awareness In Stroke Excellence (RAISE) Award. The UMHC team, recognized as Outstanding Group, was one of six winners to be honored for their commitment to stroke education.

The RAISE Award program was established in 2011 to give national recognition to individuals and groups who have exhibited commitment and innovation towards stroke awareness efforts. The winners accepted the awards Oct. 28 at the Museum of Nature and Science in Denver, Colo.

The multidisciplinary team consists of UMHC administrators, nurses, physical therapists and others serving to educate the metro Jackson area on how to best detect a stroke, and the various risk factors associated with stroke. Over the past year, the team has been responsible for performing risk assessments and educating more than 6,000 people through community outreach activities.

Kim Stonecypher, clinical director for adult services at University of Mississippi Medical Center, described the award as "a well deserved national recognition for the tremendous work that occurred both internally and externally of the team."

"We have participated in many health fairs and community projects throughout the state. We provided stroke screening and assessments, as well as educating people about prevention methods and how to recognize the signs and symptoms of a stroke," said Stonecypher.

Actress Susan Lucci and "Happy Days" star, Henry Winkler, were among the six winners honored by the RAISE awards. They were recognized in the Best Media spokesperson category for their visual contributions to stroke education and awareness.

"There is no doubt that raising stroke awareness is one of the most important ways to make an impact on stroke no matter the reach or type of effort being made," said National Stroke Association CEO, Jim Baranski, in a written statement.

"We want to help these individuals and groups stay motivated about raising awareness all year long. We want to give back to them, because they are the winning recipe for how we build a committed community of people devoted to raising stroke awareness."