[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 83 (Wednesday, June 16, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      STOP STROKE ACT (H.R. 3658)

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                             HON. MIKE ROSS

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 16, 2004

  Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, on Monday the House of Representatives 
approved H.R. 3658, the Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act 
(commonly called the STOP Stroke Act). The STOP Stroke Act will:
  Raise public awareness by authorizing funding for a national public 
information campaign to educate the public about stroke, including how 
to prevent it, recognizing the warning signs, and when to seek 
emergency treatment;
  Help states fight stroke by establishing a grant program to help 
states ensure that stroke patients have access to quality care;
  Collect and share best practices by authorizing the Paul Coverdell 
National Acute Stroke Registry and creates a clearinghouse to provide 
technical assistance to states and share best practices; and
  Educate medical professionals by providing opportunities to train 
appropriate medical personnel in newly developed approaches for 
preventing and treating stroke.
  This legislation is an important step in preventing and treating the 
devastating effects of stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of 
death in the nation and a leading cause of long-term disability. In 
Arkansas, stroke accounted for 2,600 deaths in 1999--making it the 
second highest state with stroke deaths. In fact, Arkansas is located 
in the country's ``stroke belt,'' a section of the country made up of 
12 Southern states that have high occurrences of stroke. In May, I had 
the opportunity to join the Arkansas Department of Health in launching 
its stroke awareness campaign in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. As part of the 
campaign, stroke warning signs and symptoms will be placed on grocery 
store sacks. Additionally, the health department will partner with at 
risk and hard to reach populations to teach heart healthy meal 
preparation, provide hypertension screenings and obesity awareness, and 
other prevention mechanisms. I worked closely with Linda Faulkner, 
Program Coordinator for the health department's Cardiovascular Health 
Program, and Diane Mulligan-Fairfield, Vice President of National 
Communications, National Stroke Association on the campaign's rollout. 
I commend them for their work on the project.
  It is estimated that stroke cost the nation $45.4 billion in 2001, 
including $28 billion in direct costs and $17.4 in indirect costs. A 
large share of the direct cost is paid by public payers such as 
Medicare and Medicaid. Passage of H.R. 3658 and funding the legislation 
will go a long way towards lowering these statistics and helping 
Arkansas to implement a full-scale public education campaign 
effectively.

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