FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 14, 2007 San Mateo County Health Department Contact: Beverly Thames, (650) 573-3935 SAN MATEO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO VOTE ON STROKE CARE SYSTEM REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- On June 19, 2007, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will vote on a resolution which, if approved, will launch the County's stroke care system. The resolution authorizes the County's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system to adopt new policies designed to get stroke victims to designated stroke centers and, when necessary, a stroke center specializing in invasive procedures as quickly as possible. San Mateo County is the only Bay Area County to employ this innovative two-tiered approach and one of the few in the state with a stroke care system for 9-1-1 callers. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Among survivors, stroke can cause significant disability including paralysis as well as speech and emotional problems. New treatments are available that can reduce the damage caused by a stroke for some victims. But these treatments need to be given soon after the symptoms start. "Knowing the symptoms of stroke, calling 9-1-1 right away, and getting to a stroke center hospital are crucial to the most beneficial outcomes after having a stroke," said San Mateo County Supervisor Jerry Hill. "The hospitals in this county have worked closely with the Health Department in developing this stroke system and have diligently pursued primary stroke center accreditation." Health Department staff have been meeting with local hospitals for over two years regarding the feasibility of primary stroke centers in San Mateo County. Four hospitals that receive ambulance patients from the County have achieved The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers' accreditation - Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center, Mills-Peninsula Health Services, Seton Medical Center, and Stanford Hospitals and Clinics. Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center and Sequoia Hospital are pursuing accreditation. While the County's San Mateo Medical Center is not currently planning to become a certified Primary Stroke Center, it is implementing the same stroke care guidelines as the other hospitals and can rapidly transfer patients to certified stroke centers if necessary. Stanford and Kaiser Permanente Redwood City are also capable of performing neuroinvasive procedures on patients who require more complex stroke treatment. Mills-Peninsula and Seton may offer these procedures in the future. The Joint Commission's Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition (BAC) and the American Stroke Association's guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program-the nation's first-in 2003. San Mateo County paramedics have also received special training in stroke assessment and management. BAC recommends that ambulance coordination with primary stroke center emergency departments should be an integral component of services to ensure rapid evaluation and transport of stroke patients to appropriate facilities. "The new San Mateo policy is the best in California at integrating EMS transport and hospital treatment capabilities into a county-wide stroke care system. The hospitals are ready, the paramedics and EMTs are trained, and the county transport protocols are in place. Now, those stroke victims who recognize the symptoms and activate the 9-1-1 system in time have a better chance at survival and reduced disability," noted Bob Parsons, a stroke outreach advocate at the Stroke Awareness Foundation. Before the Supervisors cast their votes, the Health Department will give a brief presentation about the new stroke system on Tuesday, June 19 at 9:15 a.m. Meetings are held in the Board Chambers at 400 County Center in Redwood City. ###