The mission to make the world safe for stroke moved to Rivne at the start of April. A two-day practical simulation-based training for emergency medical teams, nurses, and neurologists took place on 4 and 5 April, laying the groundwork for the next Angels Region in western Ukraine.
The first Angels Regions in Ukraine are in neighbouring Khmelnytska Oblast where three districts gained Angels Region status at the start of 2025. Becoming an Angels Region requires hospitals, emergency medical services, schools and local authorities to all work together towards the shared goal of making their community safe for stroke patients.
In Rivne, emergency medical teams, neurologists and nurses took advantage of an opportunity to refine their skills in the course of a two-day event during which theoretical content was reinforced through scenario-based simulations. The main focus was on interdisciplinary communication, interaction and teamwork within stroke teams to reduce treatment delays both in the pre-hospital and in-hospital settings.
Healthcare providers of different disciplines generally train separately, which can leave them ill-prepared for complex and urgent team-based scenarios such as treating stroke. Simulation training benefits patient outcomes by improving communication and advancing the integration of different competencies in a high-intensity emergency setting.
During the training, participants were therefore divided into small groups to practice specific skills and work through various real-life scenarios.
Teams actively explored ways to optimize stroke care delivery in interactive brainstorming sessions and scenario-based simulations using a process mapping tool known as the Stickers Exercise, and other hands-on methods.
Special attention was given to the use of stroke assessment tools, including the NIHSS scale. There was also a strong emphasis on the pre-hospital phase and practical skill-building with nurses, as well as focused sessions on neuroimaging with the goal of enhancings neurologists’ ability to interpret CT and MRI scans for clinical decision-making and expanding the therapeutic time window protocols.
Participants used simulation checklists from Angels Academy platform during the sessions, and observers were also engaged in post-simulation discussions, using these checklists to provide structured feedback and insight.
Speakers included nurse Olha Jarmak, Dr Dmytro Lebedynets, Dr Pavlo Lebedynets, Dr Dmytro Hrynykha and D.Oleksandr Pohrebniak the stroke chief in the region.
A key component of the training was the implementation of quality monitoring systems for acute stroke care. Angels consultant Lev Prystupiuk says, “We highlighted the integration of the RES-Q registry into daily clinical practice and demonstrated how it can help improve both treatment times and patient outcomes.
“Together, we are building capacity and refining our skills to give a second chance to every stroke patient, and to leave our legacy.”
