|
On March 27th, 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 widely recognized by the public.
H.R. 477 would authorize grants 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 patient outcomes for individuals who suffered a stroke by coordinating healthcare delivery through telehealth networks. In addition, it establishes a public awareness campaign about stroke warning signs and prevention and ensures further data collection on patients treated after having a stroke.
ASHA will continue 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.
|