By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
Sen. Bob Deuell (R-Greenville) today described his SB 330, the Texas Stroke Act, as a means of seeking to empower Texas hospitals to "diagnose early and treat and evaluate strokes in a timely manner to save lives and to save people from disabilities."
At a press conference today, Deuell noted that stroke is a leading cause of death and injury in Texas. He said 10,000 stroke victims die each year, costing $51 billion annually. There are some 5 million stroke survivors today, said Deuell, and 30 percent of them are permanently disabled. He said stroke attacks occur every 45 seconds; every three minutes, one person dies after suffering a stroke.
Deuell said his bill is designed to help hospitals to diagnose early and treat and evaluate strokes early in order to save lives. He said health care providers don't sometimes realize how important it is to treat strokes early. "Hospitals that have a stroke program can make a big difference."
The Republican senator said there are certain standards that hospitals can comply with to be accredited; however, there are a lot of criteria to meet and accreditation can be expensive. Saying many hospitals are not reimbursed for stroke care "like they should be," Deuell said that particularly in rural hospitals, such standards should be developed "so they can save lives."
Deuell said his legislation seeks to equalize one's chance of survival even in rural areas. The bill proposes funds for grant programs so that rural hospitals will have financial assistance available to encourage them to become stroke centers. He said that will give rural Texas "the same chance as others" to survive strokes. Calling it preventive medicine, Deuell admitted the bill will have a fiscal note, but added that the state will "get back many dollars for the money spent."
Rep. Jim McReynolds (R-Lufkin) will sponsor the legislation in the House and says it will "pay dividends for rural Texas," particularly in areas that might be under-served or where there are long distances between people and hospitals or clinics. Saying he is "tired of studies," McReynolds said he is ready to take action.
The two legislators were joined by officials of the Texas Affiliated Board of the American Heart and American Stroke Association, whose representative said the organization and its volunteers work to reduce the burden of heart disease and stroke in Texas. She noted that more than 150 persons will die during the time the organization spends today lobbying legislators at the capitol. "No other chronic illness or disease has this impact," she said.
The organization's spokesperson said stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and that hospital charges for treatment in 2002 in Texas totaled $7.5 billion. With increases in the numbers of persons who smoke and with obesity an ever-increasing problem for the state, those numbers will continue to rise, she said.
The American Heart Association is planning its most aggressive legislative agenda to date, seeking to improve the state's capacity to treat and prevent heart attack and stroke, said the organization's official. She said Texas has done a poor job of educating communities to signs and risks of heart attack and stroke, and the organization will seek restoration of funding to strengthen the state council that addresses cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The organization supports a $1 per pack cigarette tax increase, with at least five cents of each dollar set aside for "proven" tobacco intervention and prevention programs and cessation efforts that will prevent further costs related to "this deadly habit."
The organization also supports full implementation of coordinated school health programs and mandatory physical education classes. Saying children are the state's workforce of tomorrow, the organization supports equipping those children with resources to prevent heart disease and stroke.
American Heart Association representatives and stroke survivors also were at the press conference to support the legislation.