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SPONSOR: |
Sanchez |
DATE TYPED: |
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SHORT TITLE: |
Stroke Task Force |
SB |
SJM 31 |
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(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Responses
Received From
Department
of Health (DOH)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
Senate
Joint Memorial 31 requests the Secretary of Health to appoint a Stroke Task
Force to evaluate potential strategies for stroke awareness, pre-hospital and
acute stroke treatment, and to develop a statewide needs assessment outlining
relevant resources for response, diagnosis and treatment in the pre-hospital
and acute care settings. The task force
would be composed of eighteen members that include consumers, stroke survivors,
physicians, hospital administrators and others.
The duties of the task force are consistent with the purposes identified
above, including an exploration of funding opportunities to support
implementation of the task force recommendations.
SJM 31 would
require that the Stroke Task Force report its findings to the Department of
Health, the Interim Legislative Health and Human Services Committee and the
Governor prior to the first session of the forty-seventh legislature and that
copies of memorial be transmitted to the Governor and the Secretary of Health.
Significant
Issues
DOH
concurs with the data provided in the text of SJM 31 because of the following:
·
Stroke is the third leading cause of
death in the
·
Stroke is the leading cause of severe long-term
disability in the
·
Newly available treatments may reduce the
number of deaths and disabilities caused by stroke.
·
There are five links in the Stroke Chain
of Survival and the American Stroke Association believes that by strengthening
the Chain of Survival improves the outcomes for Stroke patients. The Stroke Chain of Survival includes:
·
Rapid recognition and reaction to stroke
warning signs;
·
Rapid start of pre-hospital care;
·
Rapid emergency medical services system
transport and hospital pre-notification;
·
Rapid diagnosis and treatment at the
hospital; and,
·
Appropriate rehabilitation.
·
Americans will pay approximately
forty-nine billion dollars in the coming year for stroke-related medical and
disability costs that may be reduced through improved response, diagnosis, and
treatment for stroke.
Currently,
the EMS Fund Act supports EMS Services statewide to ensure basic infrastructure
to provide services in rural and frontier areas of the state. These funds pay for equipment, training and
education, and other ongoing expenses.
Many areas of the state are volunteer organizations and struggle to
maintain adequate service. Also, as is
true for nurses and trauma physicians, there is a workforce shortage of EMT
Paramedics and EMT Intermediates in rural areas. Over the past few years, fiscal shortages
have threatened EMS Service operations in some areas of the state. The ongoing fragile nature of these services
and of many hospitals are challenges to providing many of the Chain of Survival
services necessary to create positive outcomes with stroke events and other
severe illness and injury events in the state.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
SJM
31 would require DOH to solicit committee members from the representative
groups, convene and staff meetings. DOH
would also need to maintain records that will contribute to a final report,
develop meeting materials, perform research, and compile draft reports. A final
report would be due by mid-fall fiscal year 2004. Existing staff may accomplish administrative
functions.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
Recent
advances have been made in the area of early Stoke diagnosis and
intervention. There are new medications
that if administered early can mitigate brain damage and or prevent it altogether. Hospital Emergency Departments have been
using these medications for several years now.
Also, EMS Services can make a big difference by identifying Stroke
patient’s early, providing rapid transportation, and possibly beginning the
delivery of medications. Another aspect
is the early identification of patients that are more susceptible to Stroke
through injury prevention education and training.
The creation of a
Stroke Task Force is very appropriate at this time since both the American
Stroke Association and the American Heart Association have initiatives toward
improving the Chain of Survival for stroke patients
BD/yr