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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The National Black Caucus of State Legislators
3 (NBCSL) recognizes that stroke is the third leading cause of
4 death in the United States; each year over 160,000 Americans
5 die from strokes; African-Americans are two times more likely
6 to suffer a first-ever stroke than Caucasian Americans; and age
7 adjusted death rates for stroke are also higher among
8 African-Americans; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Stroke is also a leading cause of serious
10 long-term disability, and more than 1.1 million American adults
11 yearly experience functional limitations and difficulty with
12 activities of daily living as a result of a stroke; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Despite the fact that Americans are now more aware
14 of stroke's risk factors and warning signs than in the past,
15 less than one in five adults can correctly classify all stroke
16 symptoms and warnings, including:
17         sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arms, or legs,
18     especially on one side of the body;
19         confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding;
20         trouble seeing in one or both eyes;
21         trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or
22     coordination; and
23         severe headache with no known cause; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, There is a need for a coordinated system of care
2 for stroke that addresses stroke care along a continuum of care
3 from primary prevention through rehabilitation to greatly
4 reduce the fragmentation of care and the burden of stroke; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Essential components of an effective coordinated
6 system of care for stroke include patient access to the full
7 range of services associated with stroke prevention,
8 treatment, and rehabilitation, including:
9         primordial and primary prevention;
10         timely notification of and response by emergency
11     medical service providers;
12         acute treatment;
13         sub-acute care and secondary prevention; and
14         rehabilitation Continual quality improvement
15     initiatives; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Timely recognition of the symptoms of stroke by
17 stroke victims, family members, the public, and emergency
18 medical service providers, including, but not limited to,
19 emergency medical responders, transport providers, and
20 hospital emergency room and health clinic personnel, is crucial
21 because the effects of stroke can be totally reversed if
22 recognized, diagnosed, and treated within three hours; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, These groups can screen for stroke by remembering
2 the first three letters of the word "STR," and asking the
3 individual to:
4         smile;
5         talk and speak a simple sentence coherently; and
6         raise both arms; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Another sign of stroke is noting whether an
8 individual's tongue is crooked or goes to one side; and
 
9     WHEREAS, A concerted focus on the dissemination of this
10 type of information is one way to raise awareness about the
11 power of communities, especially communities of color, to
12 prevent stroke; therefore, be it
 
13     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
15 encourage NBCSL members and other legislators across the
16 country to: partner with the American Heart Association and
17 American Stroke Association to promote the Power to End Stroke
18 program as a precursor to a nationwide movement to address
19 stroke as a serious health disparity in African-Americans;
20 raise awareness that uncontrolled high blood pressure and
21 diabetes in African-Americans raises the risk for stroke; and
22 promote adherence to primary and secondary stroke prevention
23 guidelines by healthcare professionals; and be it further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That we encourage NBCSL members, in
2 collaboration with the American Hearth Association and
3 American Stroke Association, to seek to introduce and enact
4 policy that will create and expand Statewide coordinated
5 systems of care for stroke, with special focus and attention on
6 timely access to care, diagnosis, and the most advanced
7 treatment for those most disproportionately affected by
8 stroke.