As part of the simulation, more than 50 attendees watched as Marion County Fire Rescue cared for an actor showing symptoms of a stroke before the actor was eventually loaded onto a stretcher.
After the simulation, attendees got to ask a panel of experts questions about strokes, stroke care, emergency response and more. (From L-R Dr. Kaleb Culpepper, Dr. Tariq Hamid, Dr. Mark Ortolani, ALS Captain Bethany Smith, 911 dispatchers Qunda English and Hannah Carpenter.)
OCALA, Fla.,
— Community members got to see the critical moments of a stroke emergency, from dialing 911 to receiving lifesaving treatment in the hospital, as part of a live simulation hosted by AdventHealth Ocala.
The “Stroke in Action: From 911 call to lifesaving care,” held on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, also featured an expert panel that included an interventional neurologist, a board-certified neurologist, a board-certified emergency medicine physician, a Marion County Fire Rescue ALS Captain and two 911 dispatchers.
As part of the simulation, more than 50 attendees heard a 911 call with a dispatcher going through the questions they would ask during an actual emergency. Then they watched as Marion County Fire Rescue cared for an actor showing symptoms of a stroke before the actor was eventually loaded onto a stretcher. Attendees then watched a video to see what to expect when going through the ER.
“Simulations like these are meant to empower community members and show them what they or a loved one could experience,” said Dr. Tariq Hamid, an AdventHealth Ocala interventional neurologist. “This shows how fast action can make a difference and why recognizing the signs of a stroke is crucial.”
May is National Stroke Awareness Month and stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States, including Florida. According to the latest data from the Florida Health Department, in 2023 Marion County had an age-adjusted stroke death rate of about 20 per 100,000 people, which is lower than Florida's overall rate of 44.6.
After the simulation, community members got to ask a panel of experts questions about stroke care, emergency response and more. That panel included Dr. Hamid, AdventHealth Ocala neurologist Dr. Kaleb Culpepper, Dr. Mark Ortolani, an emergency medicine physician at AdventHealth Ocala, Bethany Smith, an ALS Captain with Marion County Fire Rescue, and 911 dispatchers Qunda English and Hannah Carpenter.
The doctors also talked about risk factors for stroke like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity. They also spoke about how to lower the risk for a stroke by eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active and exercising regularly, not smoking and limiting alcohol consumption.
Dr. Hamid suggested attendees try to remember the acronym, “BE FAST” to look for symptoms.
B - Balance - Look for loss of balance.
E - Eyes - Check for vision loss.
F - Face - Look for an uneven smile.
A - Arms - Check to see if one arm is weak.
S - Speech- Listen for slurred speech.
T - Time - It is time to CALL 9-1-1, if any of these signs are present.
A special guest in attendance at the event was Opel Arroyave, a Marion County woman who had a stroke and had her life saved thanks to the care of first responders and the medical team at Adventhealth Ocala. (Opel’s Story: From stroke to strength: Opal shares her experience at AdventHealth)
“I’m still able to hug my grandkids and my kids and live as normal of a life as I possibly can and I appreciate every minute of it,” Arroyave said.
Arroyave said when she woke up it felt like any other day, but her daughter noticed something was wrong.
“I got up and my daughter looked at me and she goes, ‘are you ok?’ and I’m like yea why? She goes, ‘you just don’t seem right.’ All of a sudden as I come through the bedroom into the living room, I fell over and I couldn’t move my leg, I couldn’t move my arm. She called 911 and it felt like 20 EMT’s came rushing into the house just a few minutes later,” Arroyave said.
First responders rushed Arroyave to AdventHealth Ocala, where Dr. Tariq Hamid, Dr. Culpepper and a team of experts cared for her. Dr. Hamid performed her stroke intervention that dissolved the clot to restore blood flow to her brain.
“When I woke up, I looked down at my hand right away and I lifted up my hand and it was fabulous. I thought I was going to be permanently disabled, He (Dr. Hamid) is such a blessing, and he is the reason that I am here.” Arroyave said.
AdventHealth Ocala recently earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Primary Stroke Certification. The certification recognizes healthcare organizations committed to striving for excellence and fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care to drive safer, higher quality and more compassionate care for patients.
To learn more about stroke prevention and treatment as well as care options provided at AdventHealth Ocala, click here.