Virginia’s Joint Commission on Health Care has considered several policy recommendations in relation to stroke systems of care. Not to be confused with the Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO), Virginia’s Joint Commission on Health Care is an advisory group to Virginia’s legislature.

The policy recommendations were the work of a Stroke Policy Workgroup assessing the Virginia Stroke Systems (VSS) work plan and American Heart Association (AHA) stroke systems development statement to drive infrastructure change in Virginia, with the goal of improving stroke care.

The policy recommendations they approved were:

• Request by letter from the Chairman that the Virginia Department of Health convene a standing Stroke Systems Task Force to address improvement in Virginia’s Stroke Systems.

• Request by letter from the Chairman that the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association provide assistance on encouraging all hospitals to establish a protocol for the rapid evaluation and subsequent admission or transfer of the stroke patient.

• Request by letter of the Chairman that OEMS report to JCHC in 2008 regarding progress in developing a centralized electronic medical record data collection.

• Request by letter of the Chairman that Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) investigate the option for care coordination service payments for those who have had a stroke.

• Request by letter of the Chairman that Department of Social Services (DSS) and DMAS investigate an expedited Medicaid determination review for acute stroke patients.

• Amend the Code of Virginia to require each regional EMS Council to create a uniform destination plan for prehospital stroke patients, with partners including the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) and public safety answering points (PSAPS), as well as other organizations as deemed appropriate.

The final recommendation for EMS to establish destination plans requires legislation which will be considered during the 2008 General Assembly Session that starts in January. The Joint Commission on Health Care’s approval of these recommendations represents a huge victory for stroke systems in Virginia.

Virginia Stroke Systems (VSS) is a collaborative of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, Virginia Council (804-965-6571), the Virginia Department of Health, Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Project (804-864-7877) and many other stroke stakeholders across the state. The development of stroke systems is based upon the ASA Policy Statement Recommendations for the Establishment of Stroke Systems, 2005. Further information about the policy statement can be found at www.americanheart.org.