By Emily King

When a tragedy occurs due to mistakes in the medical system you can get angry or you can get active. When Gretchen Kessler’s mother had a stroke and a series of medical errors ended in suffering and tragedy, she was understandably angry and devastated. But she has transformed her anger into activism and impact.

In May of 2021, Kessler’s mother and father were preparing dinner and her mother became frustrated because she couldn’t remember how to operate the microwave. Her husband noticed that she had difficulty speaking as well, and recognizing these as symptoms of a stroke, he called 911.

“Upon her arrival, the attending physician scored her a “0” on the stroke scale (meaning showing NO signs of a stroke), despite the multitude of symptoms relayed to EMTs, ER Staff and ultimately the ER doctor,” says Kessler.

A second mistake occurred when the neuroradiologist missed the stroke on the CT scan and incorrectly diagnosed Kessler’s mother with late-stage lung cancer. It wasn’t until the next day that neurologists informed Kessler’s father that she did in fact have a stroke and not lung cancer.

The phrase “Time is Brain” is a mantra used by neurologists, meaning every minute a stroke goes untreated, 1.9 million brain cells die, leading to long-term disability and death. Kessler’s father acted quickly, but the delay in diagnosing her stroke pushed her past the time window for receiving clot-busting medication that could have saved her.

Two weeks later, Kessler’s mother suffered from a massive stroke.

After the second stroke, Kessler’s mother was left paralyzed on one side, and she eventually had to go into hospice because her care became too difficult to manage at home. She died in December of 2023 because of the effects of stroke and paralysis.

Watching her mother’s health deteriorate and ultimately pass away, because of something that may have been prevented, was devastating for Kessler. But Kessler was the Communications Specialist for WVU Medicine and had the unique opportunity to use her position for advocacy and change.

“After much reading, research, and working with the American Heart Association over the course of the last few years, I was surprised to learn the gender bias and the barriers women still face in health care,” says Kessler.

Because of her dedication and passion for breaking down the barriers women face in seeking cardiovascular care, Kessler has been nominated for American Heart Association’s Woman of Impact campaign, which takes place in February, which is American Heart Month.

“Launching annually on National Wear Red Day®, the first Friday in February, this 9-week competition inspires changemakers from across the U.S. to leverage their networks to create an impact in their community,” according to the American Heart Association’s website. Community members can nominate a woman who they believe best uses their influence to educate and inform their community about women’s cardiovascular health. At the end of the campaign, whichever nominee has made the greatest impact and raised the most funds is named this year’s AHA National Woman of Impact Winner.

Kessler was nominated by Lauren Thomas, development director of American Heart Association–West Virginia, whom she has worked closely with. Thomas knows how deeply important women’s heart health education and advocacy is to Kessler.

“My ultimate goal is to help promote cardiovascular care health equity,” says Kessler.

“No woman should have to face the lack of care that my mother faced. I want to stress the importance of being a strong advocate for yourself and your loved ones. If something seems ‘off’ or just not right, be assertive, do not be too nervous to ask questions, ask why. Demand to speak to a patient advocate if you’re not being listened to, get other opinions, and don’t be afraid to ask hard questions.”

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women, but women only make up 30 percent of participants in cardiology clinical trials. Women also may face delayed diagnosis and suboptimal treatment due to differing symptom presentations. Data shows that women have poorer cardiovascular event outcomes than their male counterparts.

“We need to dramatically improve education and awareness of the gender disparities of cardiovascular care to ensure equitable treatment of women,” says Kessler. Despite the challenges that women face in getting equally effective cardiovascular care, institutions like WVU Medicine are doing work to close the gap.

Despite the challenges that women face in getting equally effective cardiovascular care, institutions like WVU Medicine are doing work to close the gap.

“The WVU Medicine Heart and Vascular Institute at Wheeling Hospital (HVI) team is outstanding, providing the very best in cardiac care and treatment options to our community. We recently opened a new HVI clinic and expanded other HVI locations that are leading the way in cutting-edge cardiovascular care and technological advancements, while providing centralized, patient-centered care. Last year, Wheeling Hospital received two American Heart Association “Get with the Guidelines” Gold Plus Level achievement awards for our treatment of coronary artery disease and stroke. The Gold Plus Level is the highest designation given by the AHA and that is something to be very proud of,” says Kessler.

Just in recent weeks, WVU Medicine Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) achieved the first in-human use of the Broadway System, which is medical device that provides fast and direct access to access to the brain to remove clots that are blocking the arteries. This is a very significant advancement in the treatment and management of stroke emergencies.

Kessler plans to use her platform and her work with WVU Medicine to impact women’s lives for good.

The winner of the AHA Woman of Impact Campaign will be announced in April.

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