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Committee hears sponsor’s push to establish Ohio Stroke Awareness Week
Summary
Senate Bill 20 would designate a week in May as Ohio Stroke Awareness Week to promote FAST recognition and prevention; sponsor told personal and public health stories and committee members praised the outreach while noting gaps in the Department of Health’s stroke registry work.
Senator Antonio presented Senate Bill 20 to the House Health Committee, asking that May be designated as Ohio Stroke Awareness Week to educate residents about stroke signs and prevention. Antonio told the committee "every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke" and called timely recognition and treatment "the difference between life and death."
To illustrate the stakes, Antonio summarized a constituent's experience: an occupational therapist who suffered a transient ischemic attack and was triaged and treated, later reporting no lasting neurological impairment. The sponsor stressed use of the FAST acronym (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) to help the public identify stroke symptoms quickly and urged calling 911 immediately.
Chair Schmidt and other members praised the proposal and its potential for media outreach; the chair noted that a stroke registry bill passed in the prior cycle but that the Department of Health had not fully implemented aspects of it. The sponsor said his communications team had prepared a short PSA video to encourage recognition and rapid response.
The committee took testimony and thanked the sponsor. No vote was recorded at the hearing; sponsors said they would continue outreach and follow up with the Department of Health as appropriate.
