Dr. Olajide Ologuntoye, or ‘Dr. O’ as his patients call him, had just finished saying his prayers when he suffered a stroke while on call at University of Louisville Hospital.

One moment, the Chief Stroke Resident was feeling normal; the next, he had trouble walking, with numbness from head to toe. His body just wouldn’t cooperate.

Despite his professional background and training in neurology, it took him a moment to realize what was going on:

“Oh my God, I’m having a stroke!” he thought.

He knew he was lucky to even be able to think – though his body felt numb – and was able to call out for his colleague on duty that night. That colleague immediately alerted the ER staff. Once they located Dr. O within the hospital, staff members were able to begin the stroke evaluation process immediately.

Within 24 hours, the team completed an overall evaluation and Dr. O received proper treatment. He also receives ongoing care. The comprehensive approach the team took to care for Dr. O is no different for the patients he works with every day.

While patients have always respected Dr. O, they find him even more relatable. He now can speak first hand to their shared experiences and offer concrete examples of how lifestyle changes can reduce a patient’s risk for a stroke.

In Dr. O’s case, his stroke was caused by high blood pressure. He had been prescribed medication for this but was still experiencing fluctuation when he had his stroke. He knows that as healthcare providers, doctors have to take care of themselves, too. Dr. O shares this message with his colleagues and believes they respect what he is saying due to his own health scare.

Dr. O says that within those first critical 24 hours, the stroke team does an overall evaluation with all the necessary tests by specialists, including vascular and intervention neurologists. This approach is “pretty unique and remarkable,” he said.

“Without any doubt and without any bias, I can say that the University of Louisville Hospital Stroke Team is the best in Kentucky, as a whole, and in Southern Indiana,” he says.

To read more about our other proud patients, please visit myUofLHealthcare.org.