Elevating Stroke Care: Angels Initiative, SSP Empower Nurses Nationwide Through Stroke Nurse Masterclass

Angels Initiative, Boehringer Ingelheim’s global healthcare advocacy program, is expanding its Stroke Nurse Masterclass nationwide to empower more nurses and elevate stroke care standards. In partnership with the Stroke Society of the Philippines (SSP) as the certifying body, the Stroke Nurse Masterclass 2025 officially launches at New World Hotel, Makati, with a mission to strengthen stroke care capabilities and drive better health outcomes for stroke patients. The program has recently received official endorsement from the World Stroke Organization, recognizing its excellence in stroke education and its meaningful impact in advancing stroke care across the Philippines, in support of WSO’s global mission.

Stroke remains a leading cause of disability and death in the Philippines, with an average of 63,804 deaths annually.^[1] The gap in stroke awareness and insufficient training among health workers contribute to the challenges in providing timely and effective stroke care, underscoring the need for specialized training and increased awareness within the healthcare system.^[2]

Stroke nurses play a vital role in bridging this gap, ensuring that patients receive prompt, quality care to improve their outcomes. They monitor early warning signs, responding in emergencies, supporting treatment and rehabilitation, and guiding recovery.^[3] Their critical role demands comprehensive training to ensure they can deliver high-quality, life-saving care to stroke patients.

 “We’ve seen how empowered stroke nurses can make a real difference in patient outcomes,” said Krissy Avestro, Stroke Care Program Manager and Angels Initiative Lead. “Their commitment and growing expertise are essential in elevating stroke care standards nationwide. Through the Angels `Initiative, Boehringer Ingelheim continues to support stroke care teams and drive meaningful change in healthcare.”

Since its launch in 2023, the program aimed to train 200 nurses over three years, beginning with the first batch in North Luzon and expanding to Visayas and Mindanao. 

The Stroke Nurse Masterclass has certified 55 nurses from North and Central Luzon and 110 from Visayas and Mindanao. The program continues to build local capacity by training nurses and improving hospital’s ability to deliver quality stroke care across key regions in the Philippines.

“The Stroke Nurse Masterclass ensures that our nurses are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver timely, high-quality care at every stage of the patient journey, " said Dr. Maria Socorro Sarfati, Immediate Past President of Stroke Society of the Philippines and founder.

The Stroke Nurse Masterclass is a six-month certification program with 8 modules, 32 lectures, and 8 skills workshops, designed to equip nurses with essential skills and knowledge across all stages of stroke care — from emergency response and acute management to rehabilitation and long-term prevention.

The program’s launch featured key lectures on Stroke Burden and Risk Factors by Dr. Maria Socorro Sarfati, and Stroke Pathogenesis and Subtypes by Dr. Maria Epifania Collantes. These were followed by discussions on Nursing Goals in the Stroke Continuum by Jhoanne Tumapang, RN, and an Overview of Stroke Critical Care Nursing by Maria Isabelita Rogado, RN.

Participants also engaged in hands-on training through a skills workshop covering the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Registry of Stroke Care Quality (RES-Q), Stroke Quality Monitoring, Neuroimaging in Stroke, and the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) Protocol.

The remaining modules and workshops will be conducted online through the Angels Initiative website, covering critical topics such as pre-hospital stroke management, the pathogenesis of acute ischemic stroke, hyperacute stroke care, management of increased intracranial pressure, stroke complications, stroke quality data and rehabilitation, and reintegration of stroke patients into the community.

To complete the program, nurses must obtain NIHSS certification, finish the ANGELS Stroke Basics for Nurses course, and pass a final examination during the SSP annual convention in August 2025.

The continued partnership between Angels Initiative and SSP has been instrumental in empowering stroke nurses and building a more resilient and capable stroke care system, fostering a community of champions dedicated to elevating care standards in their institutions.

“Our ongoing collaboration with Angels Initiative reflects a shared commitment to strengthening healthcare systems and improving stroke care quality across the country, ”said Dr. Ma. Cristina Macrohon-Valdez, President of Stroke Society of the Philippines.

Through the Angels Initiative, Boehringer Ingelheim reinforces its commitment to building resilient healthcare systems by expanding training access, empowering healthcare providers, and driving sustainable improvements in stroke care through innovation, capacity building, and strategic partnerships.