26:2H-12.29 Minimum criteria for primary stroke centers.
3.A hospital designated as a primary stroke center shall, at a minimum, meet the following criteria:
a.With respect to patient care, the hospital shall:
(1)maintain acute stroke team availability to see an emergency department patient within 15 minutes of arrival at the emergency department, 24 hours a day, seven days a week;
(2)maintain written care protocols and standing orders for emergency care of stroke patients;
(3)maintain neurology and emergency department personnel trained in the diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke;
(4)maintain telemetry or critical care beds staffed by physicians and nurses who are trained and experienced in caring for acute stroke patients;
(5)provide for neurosurgical services, including operating room availability either at the hospital or under agreement with a comprehensive stroke center, within two hours, 24 hours a day, seven days a week;
(6)provide acute care rehabilitation services; and
(7)enter into and maintain a written transfer agreement with a comprehensive stroke center so that patients with complex strokes can be transported to the comprehensive center for care when clinically warranted.
b.With respect to support services, the hospital shall:
(1)demonstrate an institutional commitment and support of a stroke center, including having a designated physician stroke center director with special training and experience in caring for patients with stroke;
(2)maintain neuro-imaging services capability that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which shall include computerized tomography scanning or magnetic resonance imaging that can be performed within 25 minutes of order entry and interpreted within 20 minutes of completion of the scan or image;
(3)maintain laboratory services capability, which shall include blood testing, electrocardiography and X-ray services that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within 45 minutes of order entry;
(4)develop and maintain outcomes and quality improvement activities, which include a database or registry to track patient outcomes. These data shall include, at a minimum: (a) the number of patients evaluated; (b) the number of patients receiving acute interventional therapy; (c) the amount of time from patient presentation to delivery of acute interventional therapy; (d) patient length of stay; (e) patient functional outcome; and (f) patient morbidity. A primary stroke center may share these data with its affiliated comprehensive stroke center for the purposes of quality improvement and research;
(5)provide annual continuing education on stroke to support and emergency services personnel regarding stroke diagnosis and treatment, which will be the responsibility of the stroke center director;
(6)require the stroke center director to obtain a minimum of eight hours of continuing education on stroke each year; and
(7)demonstrate a continuing commitment to ongoing education to the general public about stroke, which includes conducting at least two programs annually for the general public on the prevention, recognition, diagnosis and treatment of stroke.
L.2004, c.136, s.3; amended 2007, c.270.
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Last modified: October 11, 2016