West Virginia Takes Bold Step Toward Becoming a Stroke Smart State

West Virginia Department of Health announced a major public health initiative to become a Stroke Smart State, a designation that reflects a strong commitment to increasing awareness, improving early recognition, and ensuring rapid response to stroke symptoms.

Stroke Smart West Virginia officially launches on May 1, 2026, in alignment with Stroke Awareness Month. This statewide initiative focuses on implementing early adoption and comprehensive public awareness campaigns. Through strategic alliances with health systems across the state, the program underscores West Virginia’s commitment to improving stroke recognition and patient outcomes.

“This is an incredible collaborative effort that can help bring awareness to stroke and, hopefully, save lives,” shared Secretary of Health Dr. Arvin Singh. “West Virginia faces elevated stroke risk due to high rates of hypertension, diabetes, tobacco use, obesity, atrial fibrillation, and rural barriers to timely emergency care. Delays in stroke recognition and EMS activation remain primary drivers of poor outcomes. States implementing coordinated stroke awareness initiatives demonstrate measurable improvements in public recognition of stroke symptoms, reduced pre-hospital delays, and improved treatment times.”