By Melanie Winningham, M.D., Vice President of Clinical Strategy & Partnerships, Sevaro Health
Stroke coordinators ensure emergency stroke care runs smoothly by managing workflows, confirming resource readiness, and facilitating communication across departments.
Stroke coordinators champion tools like telemedicine, AI-powered imaging, and EHR-integrated clinical pathways to enhance decision-making and support the ED team.
Providing clear decision trees, checklists, and guidelines, stroke coordinators can help reduce uncertainty and allow ED teams to focus on timely, accurate patient care.
The paramedic report was concise: possible stroke, subtle right-sided symptoms, uncertain timing. The ED team moved efficiently – NIHSS underway, IV access placed, imaging ordered. It was a familiar scenario, but one that required tight adherence to timelines and coordination across multiple departments.
The stroke coordinator stepped in – not to direct the clinical exam, but to keep the system around the exam running smoothly. She confirmed CT readiness, pulled the last known well from EMS documentation, and cross-checked for any prior imaging that radiology might need.
“I’ve confirmed CT is clear and labs are tracking the STAT draw,” she updated the charge nurse. “Neurology is looped in. These borderline-onset cases tend to get delayed, so I’ll keep things moving so we stay on target.”
The charge nurse nodded. “Perfect. Thank you for the backup.”
The stroke coordinator pulled up the recent stroke workflow update, making sure the team had everything they needed to apply the new process changes reviewed in last week’s education session. She made a quick note to follow up with EMS later – another example of onset-time uncertainty that could be improved through community outreach and training.
Minutes later, the patient was moving to CT without delay. Handoffs were clean, communication was aligned, and every team member knew their next step.
As the stroke attending walked toward radiology, he said, “Your oversight keeps everything moving in the right direction.”
The coordinator responded simply, “Our team is solid. I just help the system run the way it’s supposed to.”
Nothing dramatic – just coordinated processes, supported teams, and quiet reinforcement of workflows that help good clinicians work even faster and more confidently.
Emergency department teams are the first line of defense for stroke patients, navigating split-second decisions under intense time pressure. Even experienced ED care teams encounter the inherent complexity of early stroke assessments – and research shows this complexity reflects the nature of stroke itself, not the abilities of the ED clinicians caring for these patients.
Many ED care teams naturally desire greater confidence in neurological evaluations. The stakes are high, and early decisions shape outcomes. Strengthening confidence is not merely an educational initiative; it is an opportunity to uplift the ED team, streamline care, and reduce unnecessary transfers while preserving patient safety.
This is where stroke coordinators make their most meaningful impact.
Positioned uniquely at the intersection of Emergency Medicine, Neurology, and quality improvement, stroke coordinators understand the pace of the ED, the nuance of stroke protocols, and the importance of real-time support. They see patterns across myriad cases, and they understand exactly what ED teams need to feel supported – clear pathways, practical guidance, and a reliable connection to expert input.
By offering this combination of structure and support, stroke coordinators transform uncertainty into assurance. And that assurance becomes the foundation of stronger, faster, and more confident stroke care – delivered by ED teams who trust their skills and know they are not working alone.
As a Stroke Coordinator, my work lives in the moments most people never see – the education that prevents a stroke, the workflow that saves a minute, the conversation that changes a culture.
At its core, this role is about connection: being the traffic controller who guides every moving part in the right direction, and the glue that holds teams, processes, and purpose together. Those quiet efforts become faster responses, stronger systems, and the difference that gives patients their best possible chance forward. And knowing that is what fills this role with purpose every single day.
Nina A. Cruz, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, SCRN
BHM Stroke Program Coordinator
Miami Neuroscience Institute, Baptist Health South Florida
Stroke coordinators occupy a unique role within the hospital ecosystem. They work shoulder-to-shoulder with ED teams, understand stroke protocols intimately, and maintain direct relationships with neurologists and neurointerventionalists. This positioning allows them to streamline communication, reinforce protocols, and help the ED team maintain pace during complex presentations.
Confidence in stroke care rarely comes from theoretical knowledge alone. It grows through hands-on experience, accessible protocols, and reliable support – and stroke coordinators bring all three. Their cumulative exposure to different types of stroke cases naturally builds pattern recognition and clinical intuition, which they can share with ED care teams through real-time collaboration.
Case Reviews That Encourage Learning, Not Judgment
Monthly, judgment-free case reviews allow ED teams to reflect and grow. Highlighting both positive outcomes and challenging cases reinforces the reality that outcomes don’t always mirror decision quality – and that learning is the goal.
Stroke Recognition Training
Early recognition of subtle or atypical symptoms builds confidence. Reviewing stroke mimics, small-vessel presentations, posterior circulation signs, and LVO screening tools equips ED teams to make rapid, informed decisions.
Mock Codes and Realistic Scenarios
Simulated stroke alerts for wake-up strokes, complex comorbidities, and anticoagulated patients offer ED care teams a safe environment to practice high-pressure decision making.
Hands-on learning empowers ED teams to approach acute stroke care with clarity and assurance.
Clear Stroke Protocols Remove Uncertainty
ED teams thrive when guidance is clear and accessible.
These tools reduce cognitive burden and allow ED teams to focus on what matters most: timely, accurate patient care.
Real-Time Support: Confidence at the Bedside
Some of the most meaningful confidence-building occurs during active stroke cases.
Stroke coordinators support the ED team by:
When ED teams feel supported in the moment, their confidence deepens case by case.
Technology That Enhances ED Decision-Making
Stroke coordinators champion the adoption and training of tools such as:
These tools do not replace ED judgment – they reinforce it, offering reassurance during complex cases.
Building a Culture of Continuous Learning
Confidence develops over time in environments that value growth.
Stroke coordinators nurture this environment with:
This approach strengthens not only the individuals, but the entire ED team.
Measuring the Impact of Confidence-Building Efforts
Meaningful metrics include:
Sharing improvements publicly reinforces pride and confidence within the ED team.
Stroke coordinators strengthen far more than protocols – they strengthen relationships, systems, and the connections that allow high-performing ED teams to deliver exceptional care.
By enforcing workflows, interpreting data, fostering education, and bridging communication within the hospital and across the community, they create an environment where skilled clinicians can act with clarity and confidence.
When the processes run smoothly, the ED team is free to focus on what matters most: rapid recognition, decisive action, and the patient in front of them.
The impact is measurable, but it is also deeply human – every streamlined handoff, every aligned decision, every saved minute becomes part of the collective effort to give stroke patients their best possible chance. In this way, stroke coordinators do more than support the ED team – they elevate the entire system of care.
Melanie Winningham, MD:
As physician leader at Sevaro Health, Dr. Melanie Winningham has had the privilege of shaping how neurological care is delivered at scale. Her work blends clinical insight with strategic leadership, focused on building partnerships that expand access, support physicians, and improve outcomes for patients when every second counts.
Dr. Winningham is passionate about creating systems that serve both patients and providers – leveraging virtual care, AI-powered tools, and innovative workflows to reduce burnout and make care more human. She believes the best solutions are built in collaboration with the people who use them and is proud to lead alongside a team that’s reimagining what’s possible in virtual neurology.
