There’s no better opportunity to watch the power of community in action, no more moving spectacle than seeing respected, impassioned and active stroke champions being welcomed into a community of peers.
Given every year since 2017 to a handful of individuals around the world, the Spirit of Excellence Award is a prestigious award for which outstanding members of the global stroke community are nominated by their peers – not only for doing their own work extremely well, but for reaching out beyond their own hospitals and cities, and having an impact across regional and national boundaries.
These brights spots are the influencers in the Angels community – individuals who, having earned the trust and respect of their equals, inspire or guide the actions of others. As well as giving recognition where it is due, the awards are an opportunity to amplify their influence in order to maximise their value to the community, and to ensure their actions serve as a model for those who will follow in their footsteps.
An open door
The honour roll is long and luminous.
In Europe alone, more than 55 polished wings have touched down in the homes and offices of people who have helped define our community.
Furthermore, its composition reflects two fundamental truths about quality stroke care.
One is that, aside from neurologists, those honoured to date include five nurses, six paramedics, a radiologist, a physiotherapist, two patient advocates, and one survivor. It gives expression to the idea that stroke is everyone’s business, and requires cohesive working across multidisciplinary teams.
Secondly, it tells stories about leadership and teamwork. Without exception, the winners are also leaders who share both their courage and the credit. And sometimes the winner is a team, made up of people who leverage each other’s strengths to achieve a common purpose.
Teams like Spain’s awesome foursome, emergency specialists Francisco Arande, Antonio Iglesias, Nicolas Riera, and Montse Gorchs, winners in 2021. Or Romania’s dream team of Elena Oana Terecoasă, Dr Răzvan Radu, and Dr Vlad Tiu in 2023; and Team Lithuania – Aleksandras Vilionski, Antanas Vaitkus, Vaidas Matijosaitis, and Dalius Jatuzis – honored in 2024 for their role in transforming stroke care in countries throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
The Spirit of Excellence Award is a chance to turn up the brightness on these shining examples – but it is also a moment to say thank you.
In 2017, Spirit of Excellence winner, Poland’s Anna Członkowska, told a meeting of neurologists: “Remember, when Angels knock on the door, open it.”
We thank all the winners and nominees for holding open the door.
