In episode #104 of the Flying Doctor podcast, we met Greg - a passionate, 70-year-old surfer, who is lucky to be alive after suffering a stroke while on his board. Thanks to a FAST diagnosis from his wife Naomi and the incredible actions of first responders on the scene, Greg survived. But the long distance that Greg - along with other remote Australian stroke survivors we've interviewed on this podcast - had to travel to receive a full brain scan, can play a critical role in a patient's long-term recovery.  Accurately diagnosing and treating a stroke in the 'golden hour' after a bleed or blood clot strikes, can even mean the difference between life and death. Dr Zoe Schofield is the RFDS’s Federal Research Strategic Projects Manager and the project lead for the integration of portable brain scanners into aeromedical retrieval for the Australian Stroke Alliance - collaborative health project currently conducting ground-breaking research into portable brain scanners and stroke detection technology. 

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The Australian Stroke Alliance recommends that we always BE FAST with stroke diagnosis - by checking BALANCE, EYES, FACE, ARMS, SPEECH and TIME (ring 000). You can find a full list of organisations working within the Australian Stroke Alliance - along with a heap of great research articles and news updates - at https://austrokealliance.org.au/

You can also find more about the research that the RFDS and Stroke Alliance is doing by following this link to our latest stroke report: https://files.flyingdoctor.org.au/dd/files/RN110_Stroke_Alliance_Research_Report_P1_Web.ff08.pdf?_ga=2.125308746.1186623458.1724133185-1925006437.1720657219

We hope you enjoyed this special episode around Stroke awareness – made possible with the support of RFDS national partner, HCF, Australia’s largest not-for-profit health fund. To learn more, visit HCF health insurance | Your health comes first | HCF

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