The skills of emergency medical services (EMS) technicians – and how quickly and well they employ best practices – can be critical to a patient’s survival. This is especially true for stroke patients, who benefit significantly when their illness is diagnosed quickly; clot-dissolving medications are delivered in a timely way; and EMS personnel can transport them directly to a specialized stroke center for care. A study led by Mr. Mehul Patel, epidemiology doctoral student at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, surveyed 98 of North Carolina’s 100 county-based EMS systems to determine improvements in stroke training and care practices over the last decade. The study was published online September 5 in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Preventing Chronic Disease.