This year, the Cherkasy region of Ukraine — including the districts of Cherkasy, Uman, Zvenyhorodka, and Zolotonosha — joined the Angels Initiative, bringing a powerful commitment to improving stroke care across the region.
Every specialist involved in supporting stroke patients is working tirelessly to make a real difference. But as often happens with large-scale collaboration, challenges arise. One of them was engaging emergency medical services (EMS) teams across all four districts in training and communication.
Faced with this, consultant Tamara Zabashta proposed simple but brilliant solution:
hosting an interactive masterclass at 8:30 AM online, during the shift change — a time when both night-shift and incoming teams could join.
The result?
Nearly 500 EMS professionals joined the session.
And just as many participants successfully completed training through the Angels Academy.
Despite the difficult conditions in the country and the demanding nature of emergency care, professionals from all four districts came together, actively engaging in discussions and learning.
The masterclass was further strengthened by the participation of experts from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Stroke Association (USMS) — reinforcing the importance of collaboration at all levels.
This was more than just training.
This is a community of healthcare heroes choosing to improve outcomes, save lives, and build a stronger stroke care system — together.
The workshop opened with a presentation on the Angels Initiative and the Regional Approach in the Cherkasy Region and an introduction to the Angels Academy.
Vitalii Kryliuk and Halyna Tsymbaliuk led a session on pre-hospital medical care for stroke, after which Dmytro Lebedynets provided an overview of stroke care in the Cherkasy region
An interaction session stroke recognition scales was facilitated by Yuliia Vlasiichuk and Dmytro Hrynykha. Closing the program, Olha Yasniy and Ruslan Salnikov conducted simulation trainings for EMS, using the virtual patients simulator, Body Interact.
