Richmond Ambulance Authority to implement new training for faster stroke recognition and treatment

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — New training is set to help healthcare providers with the Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA) diagnose stroke patients more quickly.

The American Stroke Association and other medical groups released the Essential Stroke Life Support (ESLS) training earlier this year to help healthcare professionals detect and treat stroke faster in patients.

ESLS is a self-directed online course that combines curriculum with patient cases using virtual simulation. The evidence-based training was also designed for EMS providers who may not have advanced skills in stroke recognition, per a release.

RAA said it aims to have all of its emergency medical workers — including paramedics, EMTs and advanced EMTs — complete the training by the end of the month. The agency is the first in Virginia to implement ESLS training for all employees, according to the release.

RAA said it already has a high level of care, treating 628 stroke patients, and exceeded national benchmarks set by the American Heart Association last year.

“Our EMS providers are already well trained in spotting strokes through existing training using the popular acronym FAST (Face Drooping, Arm Weakness, Speech Difficulty, Time),” said RAA CEO Chip Decker. “ESLS is an incredible addition to our staff’s education and will hopefully lead to even more positive outcomes for the stroke patients we serve.”

Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the U.S. Several studies have found that strokes are more common as temperatures drop due to risk factors like poor diet and a decrease in exercise during the holidays, per the study.