UofL Health, Fire departments spread stroke awareness through BE FAST magnet program

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - In a new partnership, UofL Health and Louisville firefighters are spreading stroke awareness through a BE FAST magnet program.

UofL Health said strokes are the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States and are the number one cause of adult disability.

The BE FAST campaign was launched in May, helping to spread awareness about the warning signs of a stroke.

Signs include:

• Balance lost
• Eyes blurred
• Face drooping
• Arm weakness
• Speech difficulty
• Time

On Monday, Louisville firefighters were in the Portland neighborhood, going door to door sharing over 2,000 stroke prevention magnets.

“They see it, it’s in their home, it’s on their refrigerator door,” UofL Health Stroke and EMS Community Outreach Coordinator Brandon Heming said. “And they go to the hospital as soon as possible, and that’s the real hope behind it.”

Organizers said their goal is to give them to those most at risk of a stroke, such as those with a history of high blood pressure, minorities and women.

“We can touch a group of people who might fit that description,” Heming said. “They might not have ever been someone who goes to the hospital.”

It’s an initiative UofL Health said is needed, as they’ve noticed a pattern of more stroke patients not calling 911 soon enough.

”Not only in Louisville, in Jefferson County but the nation as a whole, fire services run volume has increased with medical runs,” Louisville Fire Captain Chris Reid said. “We still make the fires, and all those related incidents, but medical incidents have dramatically increased.”

Heming said a study showed 87% of their stroke patients show up to the hospital three hours later than they should, preventing them from receiving clot-busting drug

To learn more about the program, click or tap here.

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