GALLIPOLIS — St. Mary’s Regional Stroke Center, in conjunction with the WV Cardiovascular Health Program, Bureau for Public Health, will offer advanced stroke life support training on Tuesday, Aug. 31 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Holzer Medical Center in Gallipolis.

The course is offered free of charge to local healthcare providers. Registration is required by calling St. Mary’s Regional Stroke Center at 304-526-1469.

Training will cover practical stroke patient assessment suitable for routine use by EMS personnel and nurses. The WV Cardiovascular Health Program is funded by a grant through The Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

About the advanced stroke life support course:

Developed by experts in stroke, emergency medicine, pre-hospital care, nursing and education

Updated and improved continuously

Used to train thousands of EMS personnel, nurses and physicians from more than 100 institutions across the nation

Provides a unique neurologic assessment tool ideal for both prehospital and hospital use

Consistent with Joint Commission stroke center criteria

Learning goals for participants:

Describe why early treatment may result in a marked reduction in risk of disability

Identify the five main stroke syndromes and relate them to pathophysiology and clinical signs

Perform focused evaluation to identify stroke, its location and severity, and t-PA contraindications.