Stroke care; Department of Health shall be responsible for quality improvement initiatives.

Provides that the Department of Health shall be responsible for stroke care quality improvement initiatives in the Commonwealth. Such initiatives shall include (i) establishing systems to collect data and information about stroke care in the Commonwealth, (ii) facilitating information and data sharing and collaboration among hospitals and health care providers to improve the quality of stroke care in the Commonwealth, (iii) requiring the application of evidence-based treatment guidelines for transitioning patients to community-based follow-up care following acute treatment for stroke, and (iv) establishing a process for continuous quality improvement for the delivery of stroke care by the statewide system for stroke response and treatment. The bill also directs the Department of Health to convene a group of stakeholders, which shall include representatives of (a) hospital systems, including at least one hospital system with at least six or more stroke centers in the Commonwealth, recommended by the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association; (b) the Virginia Stroke Systems Task Force; and (c) the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, to advise on the implementation of stroke care quality improvement initiatives. The provisions of the bill making the Department of Health responsible for stroke care quality improvement initiatives in the Commonwealth have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2019. This bill is identical to