Meet the winners and nominees recognised for their commitment to stroke care excellence and for their outstanding contributions to raising the standard of treatment in their hospitals and communities.
ROSSEN KALPACHKI (WINNER 2022)
UMHAT St. Anna where Prof Kalpachki heads up the Neurological Clinic is Bulgaria’s top-performing hospital, a six-times Diamond award-winner and leading provider of thrombolysis, and has provided training to 22 hospitals many of which have started treating thanks to Prof Kalpachki’s guidance.
PETR JAŠŠO (WINNER 2022)
Chief of Education in the Moravian Silesian Region in Ostrava, Czech Republic, this EMS innovator and pioneer was the first EMS member of the Angels Steering Committee in his country. His contributions to stroke care include his role in ASLS centre establishment and the EMS Angels awards.
ANGELA KONZE (WINNER 2022)
A radiologist at Ospedale Santa Maria Nuova in Firenze, Italy, Dr Konze was instrumental in forming a partnership with Angels that lead to a reduction in treatment time to 35 minutes and Italy’s first ESO Angels Diamond award. Her innovative, dedicated work now impacts the Central Tuscany region.
STANISLAV GROPPA (WINNER 2022)
Prof Groppa is a specialist in neurology at the State University of Medicine & Pharmaceutics Nicolae Testemitanu, and a member of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. A leader in modernising stroke care in his country, he plays a key role in the Eastern Europe stroke care programme, ESO EAST.
FRANCISCO MONICHE ÀLVAREZ (WINNER 2022)
A neurologist at University Hospital Virgen del Rocío in Seville, Prof Moniche is committed to developing the stroke network in Andalusia and throughout Spain. He’s a leader by example and a pioneer whose contributions include developing the QM system for telestroke in the region.
RITA MARINO
A committed and experienced nurse, Rita has helped draft the stroke pathway that delivered exceptional progress and results at Ospedale Santa Maria Nuova in Firenze, Italy. Her contribution to training, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary teamwork, is impacting stroke care beyond her own hospital.
ANA CLÁUDIA FIGUEIRA DA SILVA
Internal medicine specialist Dr Ana Cláudia leverages teamwork to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients at Hospital Litoral Alentejano in Portugal. She works closely with patients to support their recovery, and supports her team through training, motivation and creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing.
LILIANA CUREA
As president of Romania’s first stroke patient organisation ALIA, Liliana brings her background in education and journalism to creating public awareness of stroke. She is an enthusiastic supporter of the FAST Heroes campaign through whose contribution the project garnered the support of the Ministries of Education and Health.
VLADIMÍRA TATARKOVÁ
A physiotherapist at Liptovský Mikuláš Hospital in Slovakia, Vladimíra, is dedicated to improving stroke care in the early rehabilitation of patients . She is an impactful speaker, having covered the topics of positioning, stimulation and rehabilitation in presentations to over 1,000 nurses. She overcomes obstacles with ingenuity and always puts the patient first.
NATALIA PEREZ DE LA OSSA & MERCÈ SALVAT
This neurologist-nurse partnership (also the Catalan Stroke Steering Committee), is the force behind stroke network development in Catalonia, including a high-functioning telestroke system. Dr Perez’s influence extends throughout Spain, while SEDENE member Mercé Salvat is a promoter and implementer of nurses’ leadership role in stroke.
