I am a healthcare professional. Through the twists and turns of life and my career path, I arrived in the pharmaceutical industry 20 years ago. I remember my early days, filled with curiosity and nervousness, learning everything about being a sales representative. Little by little I mastered the art of interacting commercially and from a marketing perspective with doctors. Each monthly visit became an opportunity to strengthen relationships and better understand their needs. However, at the end of 2024, I received a proposal that deeply shook me – to take on the role of an Angels Consultant. I was overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. On one hand, the excitement of a new challenge; on the other, the fear of leaving behind a comfort zone where I felt secure and competent.
This new role meant an entirely different experience. It was no longer about promoting products but about providing comprehensive consulting to a multidisciplinary team at a healthcare institution treating stroke patients to help save lives. The transition was not easy. Adapting to this new concept and making it part of my daily life was a significant challenge. I had countless doubts and fears – wondering whether I could take on this new role where I had to learn about a new pathology, understand how a consultant contributes expertise, promote process standardization, integrate the community into the educational process, and motivate institutions to improve stroke care by identifying barriers and implementing solutions.
Over time, I began to see the beauty in this journey. Learning to teach became my new mission, and every day, I felt more committed and passionate about this work.
Overcoming Challenges to Reach a Common Goal
All stories aim for a happy ending, but the path is filled with stumbles, struggles, challenges, and obstacles that must be overcome to reach the goal. Our objective is to have more stroke-ready centers, meaning healthcare institutions that can treat acute stroke in less than 60 minutes. This has a direct impact on reducing mortality and disability in our region. This is where our journey begins.
First, we need to identify the institutions equipped with a CT scanner, as brain imaging is essential for diagnosing and treating suspected stroke patients. We map the area, analyze the surrounding environment and variables, and identify the key leaders and decision-makers within institutions. These leaders are crucial for implementing strategies like the Angels Initiative, which seeks to involve all hospital personnel in stroke care – from nurses and doctors to security staff and administrative personnel – ensuring they understand how to provide high-quality stroke care. We need their support to bring together their teams for meetings and allocate proper time for each specialty.
Administrative willingness is key to achieving the best results. It allows us to conduct ongoing training, standardize processes, and integrate staff into the Angels online community, ultimately implementing quality systems such as RES-Q, which helps analyze stroke care processes and identify areas for improvement.
Even within hospital waiting rooms and preventive care consultations, we work to educate the general community on recognizing stroke symptoms. If everyone understands that this is a team effort and that each contribution matters, we will achieve better results.
Another major challenge is coordinating training sessions and quality indicator reviews within institutions. These hospitals already have multiple responsibilities and regulatory requirements, making it difficult to find time for additional initiatives. To address this, we leverage multiple formats – virtual tools, the Angels website, and in-person training sessions. While scheduling may take months due to availability issues, we make it happen.
From a governmental perspective, we do not always receive the necessary support for stroke to be recognized as a public health priority. This creates barriers to implementing the Angels Initiative within institutions. Part of our role is to demonstrate the urgency of regulation and advocate for government collaboration to reduce stroke-related mortality and disability. We need educated and well-trained teams, with clear protocols and well-defined priorities.
A particularly significant challenge is ensuring that institutions see us as allies, not competitors. We need leaders who truly understand that their work saves lives, who inspire their teams, and who drive continuous process improvement. When we find empowered leaders who prioritize greater good over personal gain, incredible things happen – institutions shine, achieve international certifications, and enhance their quality of care.
A Rewarding Journey: The Success of the University Hospital of Santander
One of my most valuable experiences as an Angels Consultant was working with the University Hospital of Santander. We started the entire implementation process with the help of Head Nurse Daniela Ramírez and Dr Joaquín González, who were the stroke champions at the hospital. Together, we established and standardized a stroke protocol with checklists to ensure proper stroke care. We also ensured that all emergency medical and nursing staff were certified through our Angels training platform, and we raised awareness about stroke symptoms across the entire multidisciplinary team through education campaigns.
Simultaneously, the hospital began data collection using the RES-Q platform to track quality indicators. After months of implementing the initiative, analyzing data, and making continuous improvements, the hospital achieved gold status in the WSO Angels Awards. For me, this was the most rewarding experience as an Angels Consultant. Knowing that, through our guidance and the tools we provide, institutions can reach high-quality standards in stroke care is what makes me fall in love with this challenge every day – it is truly a work of the heart.
The Long but Worthwhile Road of an Angels Consultant
Today, I feel proud of this process, which I now implement in every institution. Seeing the step-by-step transformation, the challenges overcome, and the barriers broken to achieve the highest standards in stroke care, is deeply gratifying. Knowing that there are dedicated leaders who think beyond their own interests and are committed to saving lives is what keeps me motivated. There are many challenges and obstacles, but the joy and pride of seeing an institution fully prepared to treat stroke patients makes it all worthwhile.
The journey of an Angels Consultant is long and filled with ups and downs, but with perseverance, dedication, and patience, institutions can raise their standard of care. And that is where we find our greatest reward – knowing that we are helping save lives.
In Colombia, we are a team of eight women – seven Angels Consultants and a team leader – committed every day to ensuring that the institutions support, share and successfully implement the goals of our Angels Initiative. Our mission is to transform stroke care and save lives, and we are making it happen.
