Cardiac and stroke outcomes

AN ACT Relating to improving cardiac and stroke outcomes through 1
data-driven continuous quality and system improvement; adding a new 2
chapter to Title 70 RCW; and recodifying RCW 70.168.150.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature intends to implement the 5
recommendations of the emergency cardiac and stroke system assessment 6
directed by chapter 58, Laws of 2022 to support efforts to improve 7
emergency cardiac and stroke care in Washington and reduce death and 8
disability resulting from cardiac and stroke events. This includes 9
developing an inclusive system of optimal cardiac and stroke care 10
throughout the continuum of care delivery. Coordinated health care 11
delivery systems require ongoing levels of oversight, evidence-based 12
inputs, coordination, and evaluation of performance. Accordingly, the 13
legislature intends that the department has the responsibility for 14
oversight and coordination of the statewide cardiac and stroke system 15
of care.16
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The definitions in this section apply 17
throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires 18
otherwise.19
(1) "Department" means the department of health.20
S-0633.1
SENATE BILL 5602
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Riccelli, Hasegawa, Liias, Nobles, Saldaña, and Valdez
Read first time 01/30/25. Referred to Committee on Health & Long-
Term Care.
p. 1 SB 5602
(2) "Emergency medical services providers" means ambulance 1
services and aid services licensed under chapter 18.73 RCW.2
(3) "Hospital" means a hospital licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW.3
(4) "Registry" means the statewide cardiac and stroke registry 4
established in section 4 of this act. 5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The department shall coordinate the 6
statewide cardiac and stroke system of care including developing care 7
system standards, stroke and cardiac center categorization, data 8
collection, and care system performance evaluation.9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The department shall establish and 10
coordinate the statewide cardiac and stroke registry.11
(2) The registry must include information related to systems of 12
care for heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest, and stroke, as 13
submitted by emergency medical services providers and hospitals, and 14
obtained through existing data sources, including cardiac and stroke 15
registries. 16
(a) The department shall define, in rule, specific data elements 17
to be reported to the registry and standards for data submission. In 18
selecting data to be reported, the department shall identify data 19
elements relevant to assessing the timeliness of the care delivered 20
to patients experiencing a heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest, or 21
stroke and evaluating performance on nationally recognized measures, 22
including care delivered by emergency medical services providers and 23
hospitals, as well as patient outcomes. 24
(b) The department shall establish a data validation process for 25
the registry and implement a plan for continuous data quality 26
improvement. 27
(c) The department shall minimize the creation of new reporting 28
requirements by using existing data sources, when possible, and 29
coordinating with state and national organizations involved in 30
cardiac and stroke quality improvement. The department is authorized 31
to enter into any necessary data-sharing agreements required for this 32
purpose. 33
(3) Beginning July 1, 2027: 34
(a) Hospitals shall submit data required pursuant to this section 35
on a quarterly basis to the department; and 36
p. 2 SB 5602
(b) Emergency medical services providers shall submit data 1
required pursuant to this section to the department through the 2
Washington emergency medical services information system.3
(4) The department shall provide technical assistance to 4
emergency medical services and trauma regions and hospitals, 5
including technical assistance in areas such as critical access 6
hospitals that are currently lacking in data submissions affiliated 7
with any existing registry, where applicable. 8
(5)(a) Beginning July 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, the 9
department shall provide a summary report of the data collected 10
pursuant to this section and an analysis of the statewide progress 11
toward improving quality of care and patient outcomes. All data must 12
be reported in the aggregate form and shall be posted on the 13
department's website and submitted to the governor and the relevant 14
committees of the legislature. 15
(b) The 2028 report required by (a) of this subsection must 16
include an analysis of the data collected and recommendations 17
regarding whether on-site verification of hospitals' adherence to 18
cardiac and stroke standards of care is needed to improve all 19
citizens' access to safe, timely, evidence-based care for stroke, 20
acute coronary syndrome, and cardiac arrest. 21
(6) The department may adopt rules to implement the requirements 22
of this section, as necessary. 23
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The department shall:24
(1) Establish and implement a plan for achieving continuous 25
quality improvement in the care provided under the statewide system 26
for cardiac and stroke response and treatment. The department must 27
develop and implement the systemwide plan using the registry and 28
other data sources available to the department; 29
(2) Establish a system performance oversight process using data 30
from the registry; 31
(3) Analyze data concerning cardiac and stroke response and 32
treatment and identify areas in need of improvement;33
(4) Provide quarterly reports on cardiac and stroke system 34
performance and quality of care measures to the emergency cardiac and 35
stroke technical advisory committee of the emergency medical services 36
and trauma care steering committee created in RCW 70.168.020;37
p. 3 SB 5602
(5) Provide recommendations to the emergency medical services and 1
trauma care steering committee and the legislature for the 2
improvement of cardiac and stroke care and delivery in the state;3
(6) Provide aggregate cardiac and stroke data feedback to 4
participating emergency medical services and trauma regions and 5
hospitals; 6
(7) Provide quality improvement assistance to emergency medical 7
services, hospitals, and emergency medical services and trauma 8
regions to improve performance on care and system coordination;9
(8) Use data from the registry to further the development of 10
cardiac and stroke system standards and education; and11
(9) Identify and disseminate interventions to improve cardiac and 12
stroke care in prehospital and hospital settings and in local and 13
regional systems of care. 14
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Within funds appropriated for this 15
specific purpose, the department shall assist critical access and 16
rural hospitals in securing the necessary data platforms to meet the 17
department's data collection requirements and support prehospital 18
services, particularly in rural areas, in acquiring improved 19
equipment and additional personnel training for the treatment of 20
cardiac and stroke patients.21
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Within funds appropriated for this 22
specific purpose, the department shall conduct public education on 23
the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke and the lifesaving 24
benefits of calling 911 and seeking immediate treatment.25
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Data elements related to the 26
identification of individual patients', providers', and facilities' 27
care outcomes shall be confidential, are not subject to disclosure 28
under the public records act, chapter 42.56 RCW, and shall not be 29
subject to discovery by subpoena or admissible as evidence.30
NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. RCW 70.168.150 is recodified as a section 31
in chapter 70.--- RCW (the new chapter created in section 10 of this 32
act).33
p. 4 SB 5602
NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. Sections 1 through 8 of this act 1
constitute a new chapter in Title 70 RCW.2
--- END ---
p. 5 SB 5602