PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1635 PRINTER'S NO. 2049
No. 130 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY MURPHY, SALVATORE, LEMMOND, HART, DENT, MUSTO, O'PAKE, STOUT, COSTA AND BOSCOLA, FEBRUARY 1, 2000
SENATOR MOWERY, PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, AS AMENDED, JUNE 13, 2000
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to create a 2 stroke prevention task force and advisory committee to 3 promote professional and public education and awareness and 4 to improve the quality of care for stroke victims. 5 WHEREAS, Stroke is the number three killer of Americans, 6 claiming the lives of approximately 25,000 Pennsylvanians each 7 year; and 8 WHEREAS, Stroke is the number one cause of serious 9 disability; and 10 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's seniors are the population at the 11 highest risk for stroke; and 12 WHEREAS, Persons 60 years of age and over comprise 20% of the 13 population of this Commonwealth; and 14 WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of the Commonwealth to 15 enable State residents to reduce the risks and effects of 16 strokes so that they may continue to lead long, healthy and 17 productive lives; and 18 WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of the State's residents
1 to be educated on healthy lifestyles to reduce the risk of 2 stroke by increasing physical activity, increasing awareness of 3 cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure and improving 4 dietary habits; and 5 WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of the Commonwealth to 6 gather and disseminate appropriate information to health care 7 professionals to facilitate their provision of quality care to 8 reduce the effects of strokes; and 9 WHEREAS, The adoption of guidelines for the care of stroke 10 patients, including emergency stroke care, throughout this 11 Commonwealth will enhance the ability of health care 12 professionals to provide quality care; therefore be it 13 RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the 14 General Assembly direct the Joint State Government Commission to 15 recommend ways to better publicize warning signs, encourage more 16 people to increase the odds of recovery by seeking treatment as 17 soon as they suffer symptoms, and to further study the issue of 18 adopting criteria for designating stroke centers throughout this 19 Commonwealth; and be it further 20 RESOLVED, That the General Assembly direct the Joint State 21 Government Commission to create a stroke prevention task force 22 consisting of two members appointed by the President pro tempore 23 of the Senate, two members appointed by the Minority Leader of 24 the Senate, two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of 25 Representatives and two members appointed by the Minority Leader 26 of the House of Representatives; and be it further 27 RESOLVED, That the task force create an advisory committee 28 CONSISTING OF 15 MEMBERS. THE COMMITTEE SHALL BE composed of one <-- 29 representative from and designated by each of the following: The <-- 30 Pennsylvania Neurosurgical Society, the Pennsylvania Chapter of 20000S0130R2049 - 2 -
1 the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Pennsylvania 2 Chapter of the American College of Cardiology, the Pennsylvania 3 Academy of Family Physicians, the Pennsylvania Emergency Health 4 Services Council, the Hospital and Health System Association of 5 Pennsylvania, the Department of Health, the Pennsylvania Medical 6 Society, the Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association, the 7 Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Pennsylvania 8 Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, the Pennsylvania 9 Occupational Therapy Association, Inc., the Pennsylvania 10 Psychological Association, the American Stroke Association, a 11 division of the American Heart Association, the biotechnology 12 industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the Pennsylvania Health 13 Care Cost Containment Council, the Philadelphia Stroke Council, 14 a stroke institute associated with a University Medical Center, 15 the Institute for Healthy Communities, the health care insurance 16 industry, the long-term care providers, rural health providers 17 and the Pennsylvania Public Relations Society of America; and be 18 it further THE FOLLOWING: THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH; THE <-- 19 HOSPITAL AND HEALTH SYSTEMS ASSOCIATION OF PENNSYLVANIA; THE 20 PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF EMERGENCY 21 PHYSICIANS; THE AMERICAN STROKE ASSOCIATION, A DIVISION OF THE 22 AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION; THE PENNSYLVANIA PSYCHOLOGICAL 23 ASSOCIATION; THE HEALTH CARE INSURANCE INDUSTRY; RURAL HEALTH 24 PROVIDERS; A STROKE INSTITUTE ASSOCIATED WITH A UNIVERSITY 25 MEDICAL CENTER; THE PHILADELPHIA STROKE COUNCIL; ONE MEMBER TO 26 REPRESENT THE REHABILITATION INDUSTRY DESIGNATED BY THE 27 PENNSYLVANIA PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION, THE SPEECH-LANGUAGE- 28 HEARING ASSOCIATION, THE PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION OF 29 REHABILITATION FACILITIES AND THE PENNSYLVANIA OCCUPATIONAL 30 THERAPY ASSOCIATION, INC. IN ADDITION, ONE MEMBER OF THE 20000S0130R2049 - 3 -
1 COMMITTEE SHALL BE CHOSEN BY THE COORDINATED DESIGNATION OF THE 2 BIOTECHNOLOGY AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES. FINALLY, FOUR 3 MEMBERS AT LARGE SHALL BE DESIGNATED BY THE TASK FORCE UPON THE 4 RECOMMENDATION OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FROM AMONG THE 5 PENNSYLVANIA NEUROLOGICAL SOCIETY, THE PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER OF 6 THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY, THE PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF 7 FAMILY PHYSICIANS, THE EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES COUNCIL, THE 8 INSTITUTE FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES AND THE PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC 9 RELATIONS SOCIETY OF AMERICA; AND BE IT FURTHER 10 RESOLVED, That the task force study the feasibility of 11 developing and implementing a comprehensive Statewide public 12 education program on stroke prevention, targeted to high-risk 13 populations and to geographic areas where there is a high 14 incidence of stroke, which shall include information on: 15 (1) leading healthy lifestyle practices that reduce the 16 risk of stroke; 17 (2) identifying the signs and symptoms of stroke and the 18 action to be taken when these signs occur; 19 (3) determining what constitutes high-quality health 20 care for stroke; 21 (4) adopting and disseminating guidelines on the 22 treatment of stroke patients, including emergency stroke 23 care, throughout this Commonwealth; 24 (5) taking such other actions that are consistent with 25 the scope and purpose of this resolution to ensure that the 26 public and health care providers are sufficiently informed of 27 the most effective strategies for stroke prevention and to 28 assist health care providers to utilize the most effective 29 treatment strategies for stroke; and 30 (6) addressing means by which the guidelines may be 20000S0130R2049 - 4 -
1 revised to remain current with developing treatment 2 methodologies; 3 and be it further 4 RESOLVED, That the task force, in accomplishing its missions, 5 take into account guidelines that have been promulgated by 6 nationally recognized organizations which deal with stroke; and 7 be it further 8 RESOLVED, That in its deliberations the task force consider 9 whether its activities would duplicate existing disease 10 education and prevention programs in the Department of Health 11 and other Federal and State agencies; and be it further 12 RESOLVED, That the task force and advisory committee 13 recommend the adoption of stroke guidelines and an appropriate 14 means of disseminating information to the professional community 15 and the general public and study the need for the designation of 16 stroke centers throughout this Commonwealth; and be it further 17 RESOLVED, That the task force and advisory committee 18 recommend sources of funds to carry out its recommendations and 19 determine the adequacy of health insurance coverage for stroke 20 patients; and be it further 21 RESOLVED, That the task force report its findings to the 22 General Assembly no later than November 30, 2000. A27L82BIL/20000S0130R2049 - 5 -