Operation Stroke

On Thursday, May 22, the Wake County EMS System will educate its personnel on Operation Stroke as part of National EMS Week, May 18-24, and National Stroke Month.

As part of the American Stroke Association's Operation Stroke initiative, Wake EMS is receiving advanced training on how to care for potential stroke victims. The program has four objectives:

1. Educate the general public.
2. Encourage the public to call 9-1-1.
3. Advocate EMS systems to upgrade the coding for transport of stroke patients, to train EMS personnel to assess for stroke, to advocate for medical dispatcher training and to implement outcomes-tracking systems.
4. Advocate for hospitals to implement stroke protocols, stroke teams and units and to implement tracking systems.

"Operation Stroke Training gives us the opportunity to ensure that the treatment the Wake County EMS System provides is top-notch," said Wake County Medical Director Brent Myers, MD.

In 2002, Wake County EMS Training Coordinator Steve Gardner and Quality Assurance Coordinator Billy Vause were sent to Baltimore by the American Stroke Association to receive the initial training. During EMS Week, Gardner and Vause will educate Wake County EMS system Paramedics on how to correctly assess and treat a stroke victim.

"There were 298 cerebrovascular deaths in Wake County in 2001," says Don Garner Jr., Wake County EMS Training Coordinator. "We have a responsibility to ensure that Wake County citizens are getting the best pre-hospital stroke care they can."

National EMS Week is also an opportunity for Paramedics to educate the public on the importance of recognizing the warning signs of a stroke and accessing the EMS system quickly.