Illinois Code § 3.118.5

§ 3.118.5.

State Stroke Advisory Subcommittee; triage and transport of possible acute stroke patients. (a) There shall be established within the State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council, or other statewide body responsible for emergency health care, a standing State Stroke Advisory Subcommittee, which shall serve as an advisory body to the Council and the Department on matters related to the triage, treatment, and transport of possible acute stroke patients. Membership on the Committee shall be as geographically diverse as possible and include one representative from each Regional Stroke Advisory Subcommittee, to be chosen by each Regional Stroke Advisory Subcommittee. The Director shall appoint additional members, as needed, to ensure there is adequate representation from the following: (1) an EMS Medical Director; (2) a hospital administrator, or designee, from a Comprehensive Stroke Center; (2.5) a hospital administrator, or designee, from a Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Center, Thrombectomy Ready Stroke Center, or Primary Stroke Center Plus; (3) a hospital administrator, or designee, from a Primary Stroke Center; (3.5) a hospital administrator, or designee, from an Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital; (3.10) a registered nurse from a Comprehensive Stroke Center; (3.15) a registered nurse from a Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Center, Thrombectomy Ready Stroke Center, or Primary Stroke Center Plus; (4) a registered nurse from a Primary Stroke Center; (5) a registered nurse from an Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital; (5.5) a physician providing advanced stroke care from a Comprehensive Stroke center; (5.10) a physician providing stroke care from a Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Center, Thrombectomy Ready Stroke Center, or Primary Stroke Center Plus; (6) a physician providing stroke care from a Primary Stroke Center; (7) a physician providing stroke care from an Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital; (8) an EMS Coordinator; (9) an acute stroke patient advocate; (10) a fire chief, or designee, from an EMS Region that serves a population of over 2,000,000 people; (11) a fire chief, or designee, from a rural EMS Region; (12) a representative from a private ambulance provider; (12.5) a representative from a municipal EMS provider; and (13) a representative from the State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council. (b) Of the members first appointed, 9 members shall be appointed for a term of one year, 9 members shall be appointed for a term of 2 years, and the remaining members shall be appointed for a term of 3 years. The terms of subsequent appointees shall be 3 years. (c) The State Stroke Advisory Subcommittee shall be provided a 90-day period in which to review and comment upon all rules proposed by the Department pursuant to this Act concerning stroke care, except for emergency rules adopted pursuant to Section 5-45 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. The 90-day review and comment period shall commence prior to publication of the proposed rules and upon the Department's submission of the proposed rules to the individual Committee members, if the Committee is not meeting at the time the proposed rules are ready for Committee review. (d) The State Stroke Advisory Subcommittee shall develop and submit an evidence-based statewide stroke assessment tool to clinically evaluate potential stroke patients to the Department for final approval. Upon approval, the Department shall disseminate the tool to all EMS Systems for adoption. The Director shall post the Department-approved stroke assessment tool on the Department's website. The State Stroke Advisory Subcommittee shall review the Department-approved stroke assessment tool at least annually to ensure its clinical relevancy and to make changes when clinically warranted. (d-5) Each EMS Regional Stroke Advisory Subcommittee shall submit recommendations for continuing education for pre-hospital personnel to that Region's EMS Medical Directors Committee. (e) Nothing in this Section shall preclude the State Stroke Advisory Subcommittee from reviewing and commenting on proposed rules which fall under the purview of the State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council. Nothing in this Section shall preclude the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council from reviewing and commenting on proposed rules which fall under the purview of the State Stroke Advisory Subcommittee. (f) The Director shall coordinate with and assist the EMS System Medical Directors and Regional Stroke Advisory Subcommittee within each EMS Region to establish protocols related to the assessment, treatment, and transport of possible acute stroke patients by licensed emergency medical services providers. These protocols shall include regional transport plans for the triage and transport of possible acute stroke patients to the most appropriate Comprehensive Stroke Center, Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Center, Thrombectomy Ready Stroke Center, Primary Stroke Center Plus, Primary Stroke Center, or Acute Stroke-Ready Hospital, unless circumstances warrant otherwise. (Source: P.A. 103-149, eff. 1-1-24.)