Local health literacy group pitches BE FAST stroke lessons for district curriculum

A representative from a national children’s health literacy initiative asked the New Haven Board of Education Monday to consider adding stroke-recognition lessons to the district’s health curriculum, saying the instruction is simple and could save lives.

Chauncey Evers, senior manager of clinical operations and quality and director of the Children’s Health Literacy Initiative, described a campaign to teach students the BE FAST method — balance, eyes/vision, face, arm weakness, speech, time to call 911 — and said the group aims to train youth ambassadors to spread the message in elementary, middle and high schools.

Evers told the board that stroke is a leading cause of death worldwide and the fifth leading cause of death in the United States; he said it also creates a significant financial burden due to disability. He said the initiative wants to train students “to be a lifesaver for themselves first” and to equip them with simple recognition steps so they can help family members and community members in the narrow window for emergency treatment.

Evers referenced a student representative who helped bring the program to the district and asked school leaders to consider partnerships, noting the initiative is already active nationally. The board’s students’ report later mentioned stroke-education outreach as an item a student wants to bring to the district.

District staff did not immediately make a commitment at the meeting; Evers said he looks forward to further discussions with curriculum staff about how the lessons might be built into health or related classes.