Thursday, April 10, 2025
4/10/2025
Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program - As one of 11 states in the “Stroke Belt,” Arkansas faces significant challenges with cardiovascular disease as evidenced by the latest U.S. rankings among states: 2nd in diabetes, 2nd in smoking, 2nd in physical inactivity, 5th in hypertension and 5th in multiple chronic conditions. An important reason for these health issues are social determinants of health, which exacerbate disparities in outcomes and risk factors. Arkansas, a state where 45% of the population lives in rural areas, ranks highest in the nation in food insecurity, 5th highest in poverty, and has the 2nd highest overall burden of social and economic factors. Data show between 2019 – 2022, Arkansas’s statewide crude stroke mortality rate for adults 18+ is 73.5 per 100,000 population. Despite these challenges, Arkansas’s collaborative partnership efforts have reduced the burden of stroke. Through the 2021-2024 Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program support, Arkansas has continued to expand statewide efforts to mitigate the burden of acute stroke by advancing stroke systems of care through the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Stroke and STEMI Section’s Arkansas Stroke Registry (ASR) program. Improved care capacity contributed to Arkansas’s stroke mortality ranking among states falling from 5th in 2021 to 9th in 2022. In 2023, Arkansas further strengthened its system of care by becoming the first state to make the Pulsara mobile communications application available to ambulance services, hospitals, public health, long-term care, and other healthcare facilities to optimize patient care. The grant application will further enhance Arkansas’s ability to address the needs for those at highest risk for stroke and for stroke patients across the care continuum. Activities will be focused on impacting the following outcomes: (a) short-term: increased use of Electronic Health Records and Health Information Technology to identify target population and metrics to guide quality improvement activities; increased use of standardized procedures to identify, monitor and assess clinical and social service needs through a bidirectional referral system; increased monitoring of statewide data across the stroke care continuum; increased number of individuals with social support needs referred to needed services using standardized procedures including clinical and community-based entities; expanded collection and use of data to improve quality of care; increased number of individuals served by health care organizations to prevent stroke; (b) intermediate: reduced strokes, reduce disparities, and increased utilization of services within partner, health care, and community settings; and (c) long-term: improved cardiovascular health and reduced disparities. The ASR program will implement activities to address Coverdell Strategy 1 (track, monitor, and assess clinical and social services and support needs measures and referrals across the stroke continuum); Strategy 2 (promote the implementation of a team-based care approach across the stroke continuum); and Strategy 3 (link individuals to community resources and clinical services to support bidirectional referrals, self-management, and lifestyle changes). The ASR program has built strong relationships with several organizations to improve the state’s stroke system of care. Over the next five years, the ASR will leverage existing relationships as well as developing new alliances to perform program activities. Key partners include the state’s stroke coalition, AR Minority Health Commission, ADH-Health Disparities Elimination, Community Health Centers of Arkansas, American Heart Association, telestroke outreach education, Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program and the State Health Alliance for Records Exchange. In addition, the ASR program will collaborate with existing CDC funded programs including the National Cardiovascular Health Program and WISEWOMAN Program to address upstream stroke risk factors.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).