AHA says new legislation would strengthen stroke care and prevention
The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA) are urging Congress to quickly advance new legislation to provide new federal funding for stroke research and education. The AHA said the bill will help improve outcomes for people affected by stroke nationwide.
The Stroke Act (S.5260), introduced in the U.S. Senate Aug. 5, would direct the federal government to study how stroke care is delivered in the United States and to fund efforts aimed at improving stroke treatment, data collection and public awareness. The bill would authorize the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, working with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, to conduct or support research on stroke care delivery. It would also authorize $3 million for research projects each year from 2027 through 2032.
The bill was introduced by Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, a stroke survivor. Luján, a stroke survivor, outlined the bill publicly at a meeting with the University of New Mexico Hospital and Health Sciences leadership and staff last week. He told them the bill would improve stroke prevention, treatment, recovery, data collection and research. He also detailed how the bill would strengthen emergency response and rehabilitation services, expand access to care and help people recognize stroke symptoms so that they know when to seek lifesaving treatment.
“This legislation would increase our understanding of stroke care, improve the quality of stroke treatment delivered to communities nationwide and ultimately save lives,” Nancy Brown, AHA CEO, said in a statement. “Someone dies of a stroke every 3 minutes and 14 seconds in the United States, yet many strokes can be prevented, and recognizing the warning signs can help save lives. We thank Sen. Luján for turning his personal experience with stroke into action by championing this legislation.”
The AHA said this bill would also support training for emergency medical personnel and healthcare providers, improve care coordination after stroke and expand the use of telestroke technologies to better connect patients to specialized stroke expertise, regardless of geography. In addition, it would work to build on existing infrastructure by requiring the national stroke registry to leverage established systems rather than create a duplicative reporting framework. AHA said this approach aligns closely with its Get With The Guidelines-Stroke quality improvement program.
The Stroke Act has been referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for further review.
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: [email protected]