Patricia Brown

Samuel, a patient service representative in Food & Nutrition Services at TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center, is a true hero who went above and beyond when he quickly got help after noticing signs of a stroke in a visitor.

Samuel delivers meal trays to patient rooms and often builds connections with the patients. On one morning, he was delivering food to a patient in our inpatient rehab unit, Robert, and his wife, Patricia, who was visiting him. Samuel had gotten to know the family well, and he noticed right away when something was not right with Patricia.

“When speaking with her, I recognized that she was having difficulty speaking and her face was drooping,” said Samuel. “I knew I had to do something.”

Samuel immediately knew these were signs of a possible stroke and acted quickly to find a nurse to help. Samuel’s instincts were right, and because of his swift action, Patricia was treated quickly and now on the road to a healthy recovery after a short stay in our hospital.

“He may have saved my life. We really don’t know what would have happened if he didn’t act so quickly,” said Patricia. “When I woke up, they said Sam had recognized that I needed help. We had seen Sam many times before and fallen in love with him. He would bring me a tray every day so I could eat with Robert, and that was so helpful since I was here all day every day. I have no lasting effects from the experience, which is a blessing. And it was because he recognized the signs and got me to the right place in time. I thank God every day for Sam.”

Patricia recently returned to TriStar Southern Hills to thank Samuel in person. It was a sweet reunion and a reminder of how all of our colleagues make a positive impact on our patients.