PRINTER'S NO. 1899
No. 1343 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY ERICKSON, WASHINGTON, MUSTO, RAFFERTY, ORIE,
COSTA, WOZNIAK, LAVALLE, WAUGH, O'PAKE, ROBBINS, WONDERLING,
LOGAN, TOMLINSON, GREENLEAF, BROWNE, STACK AND KITCHEN,
APRIL 3, 2008
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, APRIL 3, 2008
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
2 "An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
3 executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
4 Executive Department thereof and the administrative
5 departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
6 including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
7 Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
8 authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
9 departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
10 duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
11 officers, and of the several administrative departments,
12 boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
13 Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
14 and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
15 certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
16 other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
17 and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the
18 number and compensation of the deputies and all other
19 assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and
20 commissions shall be determined," requiring the Department of
21 Health to provide notice of certified primary stroke
22 treatment hospitals; and establishing the Cardiovascular
23 Disease Advisory Committee and a Statewide stroke database.
24 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
25 hereby enacts as follows:
26 Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known
27 as The Administrative Code of 1929, is amended by adding
1 sections to read:
2 Section 2126. Cardiovascular Disease Advisory Committee.--
3 (a) The Cardiovascular Disease Advisory Committee in the
4 Department of Health is established.
5 (b) The Cardiovascular Disease Advisory Committee shall:
6 (1) Advise the Department of Health on how to raise
7 awareness on prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke
8 among the public, the health care community and policymakers
9 using all available data.
10 (2) Identify evidence-based best practice education
11 strategies for the public to identify risk factors associated
12 with the cardiovascular disease and stroke and to identify
13 symptoms at onset.
14 (3) Identify and review evidence-based best practice health
15 promotion and disease prevention strategies related to
16 cardiovascular disease and stroke for implementation in this
17 Commonwealth, with the goal of reducing death and long-term
18 disability among the citizens of this Commonwealth.
19 (4) Identify limitations and problems associated with
20 existing laws, regulations, programs and services related to
21 cardiovascular disease and stroke and propose feasible changes.
22 (5) Examine evidence-based current and alternative treatment
23 options available for treating different types of cardiovascular
24 disease and stroke.
25 (6) Review data collected by the Department of Health
26 pursuant to section 2127 to identify areas of improved outcomes,
27 including reduced secondary stroke events.
28 (7) Identify any additional issues that come before the
29 advisory committee.
30 (c) (1) The Cardiovascular Disease Advisory Committee shall
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1 consist of a maximum of sixteen members, including
2 representatives from the Department of Aging, the Department of
3 Health, the Insurance Department and the Department of Public
4 Welfare.
5 (2) The Secretary of Health shall appoint one representative
6 from each of the following fields to serve on the advisory
7 committee:
8 (i) Board-certified cardiac surgeon.
9 (ii) Board-certified neurologist.
10 (iii) Public health professional.
11 (iv) Licensed dietitian.
12 (v) Registered nurse with expertise in cardiovascular
13 disease.
14 (vi) Hospital administrator.
15 (vii) Disparate community.
16 (viii) Emergency medical services community.
17 (ix) Organization representing the rural population.
18 (x) Board certified primary care provider that is a
19 physician specializing in either family practice or internal
20 medicine.
21 (xi) Nonprofit health service plan.
22 (xii) Voluntary organization that addresses cardiovascular
23 disease.
24 (d) The term of the advisory committee members shall be two
25 years from the respective date of their appointment, except that
26 the initial appointments shall be made in such a manner so that
27 six members appointed under subsection (c)(2) shall be appointed
28 for a term of two years, and six members be appointed for a term
29 of one year. A member shall hold office for the term of his
30 appointment and until a successor has been appointed and
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1 qualified. All vacancies shall be filled for the balance of the
2 unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. A
3 member of the advisory committee is eligible for reappointment
4 by the Secretary of Health, contingent upon diligent attendance
5 at meetings of the board.
6 (e) The Secretary of Health or his designee will serve as
7 the chairperson of the advisory committee and may select a
8 secretary, who need not be a member of the advisory committee.
9 (f) Members who are not employes of State government shall
10 be reimbursed for travel and other actual expenses reasonably
11 incurred in the performance of their duties.
12 (g) The advisory committee shall meet no less than twice
13 annually. Nine members of the advisory committee shall
14 constitute a quorum for the purpose of exercising all of the
15 powers of the advisory committee. A vote of the majority of the
16 members present shall be sufficient for all actions of the
17 advisory committee.
18 (h) This section shall expire December 31, 2013.
19 Section 2127. Stroke Data Collection.--The Department of
20 Health shall establish and maintain a State-wide stroke database
21 that compiles stroke care information and statistics relating to
22 strokes in this Commonwealth and shall make information and
23 statistics available to the public on the Department of Health's
24 Internet website. The Department of Health shall not be required
25 to collect data for this database that is already required to be
26 collected by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment
27 Council. To every extent possible, the Department of Health
28 shall coordinate with the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost
29 Containment Council to avoid duplication and redundancy. In
30 establishing this database the Department of Health shall use
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1 its annual survey of hospitals to collect aggregate information
2 by hospital on the Joint Commission of Accreditation of
3 Healthcare Organizations Primary Stroke Centers Standardized
4 Stroke Measure Set used, as a measurement of best practice for
5 stroke care.
6 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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