On March 13th, the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act or STOP Stroke Act (H.R. 477). This bill would help ensure that stroke is treated more effectively by health care providers and more recognized by the public.
The bill authorizes a grant program to improve stroke and traumatic injury prevention, diagnosis, and treatment through continuing education programs on the use of new diagnostic approaches or therapies. It also authorizes a five-year pilot project to improve stroke patient outcomes by coordinating health care delivery through telehealth networks. In addition, it establishes a public awareness campaign about stroke warning signs and prevention and ensures further data collection on stroke patients.
ASHA will continue to work with the House and Senate sponsors of this legislation to help ensure that speech-language pathologists are involved in the implementation of education and telehealth grants that would be created by the bill, if it were to become law. For further information on ASHA's legislative efforts, please contact Elizabeth Mundinger, ASHA's Director of Federal and Political Advocacy, by e-mail at emundinger@asha.org or by calling 800-498-2071, ext. 4473.
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