Patrick Groot from Warrnambool in Victoria has won the NSF Stroke Care Champion Award for his dedicated work with stroke survivors and stroke clinicians since 2004. Patrick, a registered nurse, works as stroke liaison and clinical nurse consultant with South West Healthcare in Warrnambool and is also Regional Stroke Coordinator with the Victorian Stroke Clinical Network.

As part of his role as a clinical nurse specialising in stroke, Patrick sees all stroke and min-stroke admissions at Warrnambool Base Hospital, part of Southwest Health Care. He works with survivors, carers and families across the entire stroke care continuum, ensuring seamless transition from hospital to rehabilitation and then home. The region he works in sees on average 110 stroke patients and 50 mini-stroke patients a year.

He is also a leading community educator, running programs to raise public awareness of stroke.

Patrick said he enjoyed working in the area of stroke because of the many opportunities it presented where he could to improve the lives of people affected by the condition.

“I have found that with stroke you have a wonderful opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives,” he said.

“There is a lot you can achieve and I like striving towards the goal of better services.”

Patrick will this year complete his Masters in Health Science, Stroke Specialisation as part of his continuing education in the area of stroke.

His nominator wrote:

“Patrick has worked tirelessly in the southwest region of Victoria improving the lives of stroke survivors and the skills and knowledge of regional clinicians. He has been instrumental in the development of the Southwest Health care stroke unit and thrombolysis service … resulting in being one of the first regional areas in Victoria to have access to these facilities.”

This award is conferred jointly with the Stroke Society of Australia.