HJAR Mar/Apr 2025

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAR / APR 2025 43 Jennifer Dillaha, MD Director Arkansas Department of Health Acute Stroke Care Task Force (ASCTF). The bill mandated the task force be formed to coordinate statewide efforts to combat the effects of stroke onArkansans. There are 11 local organizations represented in the task force, including ADH and a representative from the community at large. ADH worked with ASCTF in charting the course for ad- dressing stroke burden through multiple avenues, such as professional and public education; stroke data collection; state ac- creditation to improve standards of care; and addressing stroke risk factors and disparities. In 2011, ADH, in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA), imple- mented theArkansas Stroke Registry (ASR) to collect real-time stroke data from hospi- tals. The registry helps hospitals track, mea- sure, and improve quality of care for stroke patients. It strives to optimize the quality of stroke care, decrease death and disability, reduce disparities in stroke patient care, and increase public awareness of stroke treat- ment and prevention. Currently, 80 hospitals out of 118 participate in the stroke registry. In addition, ADH has established the Arkansas Stroke Ready Hospital (ArSRH) designation to improve standards of care for stroke across the state. ArSRHs are REFERENCES National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. n.d. “Stroke Overview.” National Institutes of Health. Accessed Feb. 1, 2025. https://www. ninds.nih.gov/health-information/stroke/stroke- overview. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Stroke Signs and Symptoms.” Oct. 24, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/signs-symptoms/ index.html. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Stroke Facts and Statistics.” Oct. 24, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/data-research/ facts-stats/index.html. Arkansas Department of Health. “Arkansas Stroke-Ready Hospitals.” Accessed Feb. 1, 2025. https://healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/ diseases-conditions/stroke/arkansas-stroke- ready-hospitals/. Arkansas Department of Health. “Arkansas Acute Stroke Care Task Force (ASCTF).” Accessed Feb. 1, 2025. https://healthy.arkansas.gov/boards- commissions/committees/arkansas-acute- stroke-care-task-force-asctf/. Arkansas Department of Health. “Arkansas Stroke Registry.” Accessed Feb.1, 2025. https:// healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/diseas- es-conditions/stroke/ar-stroke-registry/. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Mul- tiple Cause of Death, 1999–2020 Request.” WON- DER. Accessed Feb. 1, 2025. https://wonder.cdc . gov/mcd-icd10-expanded.html. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Stroke Death Rates Among Adults Ages 45–64 by Region and Race and Hispanic Origin: United States, 2002–2022.” National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief No. 505 (August 2024). https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/ db505.htm. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. “ How many people are affected by/at risk for stroke?” National Institutes of Health. Accessed Last re- viewed Jan. 3, 2025. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/ health/topics/stroke/conditioninfo/risk. designated medical facilities staffed and equipped to provide immediate care for stroke patients. Currently, Arkansas has 28 ArSRHs, including two Acute Stroke Ready Hospitals designated through The Joint Commission, 11 Primary Stroke Center hos- pitals, and three Comprehensive Stroke Cen- ter hospitals. Additionally, all UAMS Institute for Digital Health and Innovation Telestroke sites and participating Mercy Telestroke sites that provide initial acute stroke care have been provisionally designated as Ar- SRHs. ADH is in the process of completing the official designations for these facilities. As a result of the state’s efforts, Arkansas dropped its ranking from No. 1 in the na- tion with the highest stroke mortality rate to No. 9 in 2022. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished and believe that Arkansas will soon be out of the top ten states. I want to encourage healthcare providers to increase the opportunities available for stroke risk reduction. I also encourage everyone to talk to your physician about how to decrease your own chances of having a stroke. Finally, I hope all Arkansans will become familiar with signs of stroke and know to call 911 im- mediately. Stroke is a medical emergency, and everyone should be prepared to rec- ognize it and jump into action. n