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| PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1949 | PRINTER'S NO. 2512 |
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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY REICHLEY, CALTAGIRONE, CLYMER, D. COSTA, CUTLER, GILLESPIE, GRELL, HARKINS, JOSEPHS, MILNE, M. O'BRIEN, THOMAS, WATSON, BOBACK, KILLION, SWANGER, DONATUCCI, DAY, TOOHIL, GEIST, SONNEY, MURT, KAUFFMAN, HENNESSEY, DENLINGER, RAPP, FARRY AND PASHINSKI, MAY 24, 2011 |
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| AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 5, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Establishing a Statewide stroke system of care by designating | <-- |
2 | recognizing primary stroke centers and directing the creation | <-- |
3 | of emergency medical services training and transport |
4 | protocols. |
5 | The General Assembly finds and declares as follows: |
6 | (1) The rapid identification, diagnosis and treatment of |
7 | stroke can save the lives of stroke patients and in some |
8 | cases can reverse minimize neurological damage such as | <-- |
9 | paralysis and speech and language impairments, leaving stroke |
10 | patients with few or no minimal neurological deficits. | <-- |
11 | (2) Despite significant advances in the diagnosis, |
12 | treatment and prevention, stroke is the third leading cause |
13 | of death and the leading cause of disability with an |
14 | estimated 795,000 new and recurrent strokes occurring each |
15 | year in this country, and, with the aging of the population, |
16 | the number of persons who have strokes is projected to |
17 | increase. |
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1 | (3) Although treatments are available to improve the |
2 | clinical outcomes of stroke, many acute care hospitals lack |
3 | the necessary staff and equipment to optimally triage and |
4 | treat stroke patients, including the provision of optimal, |
5 | safe and effective emergency care for those patients. |
6 | (4) An effective system to support stroke survival is |
7 | needed in our communities in order to treat stroke patients |
8 | in a timely manner and to improve the overall treatment of |
9 | stroke patients in order to increase survival and decrease |
10 | the disabilities associated with stroke. There is a public |
11 | health need for acute care hospitals in this Commonwealth to |
12 | establish primary stroke centers to ensure the rapid triage, |
13 | diagnostic evaluation and treatment of patients suffering a |
14 | stroke. |
15 | (5) Primary stroke centers should be established for the |
16 | treatment of acute strokes. Primary stroke centers should be |
17 | established in as many hospitals as possible. These centers |
18 | would evaluate, stabilize and provide emergency and inpatient |
19 | care to patients with acute stroke. |
20 | (6) Therefore, it is in the best interest of the |
21 | residents of this Commonwealth to establish a program to |
22 | facilitate development of stroke treatment capabilities | <-- |
23 | throughout the State. This program will provide recognize | <-- |
24 | accredited primary stroke centers whose criteria provide |
25 | specific patient care and support services criteria that | <-- |
26 | stroke centers that hospitals must meet in order to ensure | <-- |
27 | that stroke patients receive sage and effective care. |
28 | Further, it is in the best interest of the people of this |
29 | Commonwealth to modify the State's emergency medical response |
30 | system to assure that stroke patients may be quickly |
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1 | identified and transported to and treated in facilities that |
2 | have specialized programs stroke protocols for providing | <-- |
3 | timely and effective treatment for stroke patients. |
4 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
5 | hereby enacts as follows: |
6 | section Section 1. Short title. | <-- |
7 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Primary |
8 | Stroke Center Designation Recognition Act. | <-- |
9 | Section 2. Definitions. |
10 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
11 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
12 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
13 | "Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth. |
14 | "Emergency medical services agency medical director." As | <-- |
15 | defined in 35 PA.C.S. § 8103 (relating to definitions). |
16 | "Joint commission." An independent national not-for-profit |
17 | organization that develops and updates organizational standards |
18 | and performance measures, conducts on-site evaluations and |
19 | awards accreditation decisions to health care facilities, |
20 | including hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies and |
21 | ambulatory providers, that are accepted by the Federal |
22 | Government for the compliance of Conditions of Participation for |
23 | Medicare. |
24 | Section 3. Designation Recognition of centers. | <-- |
25 | (a) Designation General rule.--Upon application by an | <-- |
26 | accredited a licensed acute care hospital, the department shall | <-- |
27 | designate recognize the hospital as a primary stroke center if | <-- |
28 | the hospital is certified as a primary stroke center by the |
29 | joint commission or another cabinet-approved nationally | <-- |
30 | recognized accrediting organization that provides certification | <-- |
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1 | for stroke care. The designation shall last as long as the |
2 | hospital remains certified as a primary stroke center. | <-- |
3 | (b) Suspension or revocation of designation recognition.-- | <-- |
4 | The department may suspend or revoke a primary stroke center | <-- |
5 | designation recognition if the department determines that the | <-- |
6 | hospital is not in compliance with provisions of this act | <-- |
7 | requiring accreditation as a primary stroke center. | <-- |
8 | Section 4. Emergency medical services. |
9 | (a) List of primary stroke centers.--By June 1 of each year, | <-- |
10 | the The department shall: | <-- |
11 | (1) Send Make available a list of accredited primary | <-- |
12 | stroke centers to the medical director of each licensed each | <-- |
13 | emergency medical services provider agency medical director | <-- |
14 | in this Commonwealth. |
15 | (2) Maintain a copy of the list of primary stroke |
16 | centers in the office designated with the department to |
17 | oversee emergency medical services. |
18 | (3) Post a list of primary stroke centers on the |
19 | department's Internet website. |
20 | (b) Assessment.--The department shall adopt make available | <-- |
21 | and distribute a nationally recognized standardized stroke |
22 | triage assessment tool no later than July 1, 2011, or within 60 | <-- |
23 | days of the effective date of this act, whichever is later. The | <-- |
24 | department shall: |
25 | (1) Provide Make available a copy to the medical | <-- |
26 | directors of each licensed each emergency medical services | <-- |
27 | provider agency medical director in this Commonwealth so that | <-- |
28 | the directors can use the tool or a substantially similar one |
29 | to evaluate patients. |
30 | (2) Post the assessment tool on its Internet website. |
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1 | (c) Protocols.--The department shall establish protocols |
2 | that are related to prehospital assessment, treatment and |
3 | transport of stroke patients by licensed emergency medical |
4 | services providers. The protocols shall include plans for triage |
5 | and transport of acute stroke patients to the closest primary |
6 | stroke center or a facility that can provide appropriate | <-- |
7 | treatment if the primary stroke center is not within a specified |
8 | time frame from onset of symptoms. |
9 | (d) Training.--The department shall establish protocols to |
10 | ensure that licensed certified emergency medical services | <-- |
11 | providers and 911 dispatch personnel, within their scope of | <-- |
12 | practice, receive regular training on the assessment and |
13 | treatment of stroke patients. |
14 | (e) Compliance.--By July 1, 2011, or within Within 60 days | <-- |
15 | of the effective date of this act, whichever is later, each | <-- |
16 | emergency medical services provider must comply with all |
17 | protocols and regulations promulgated by the department under |
18 | this act. |
19 | Section 5. Effective date. |
20 | This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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