§ 61-118.400 - STATEWIDE SYSTEM OF STROKE CARE

A. Licensed EMS providers shall establish a stroke assessment and triage system that incorporates the South Carolina Stroke Assessment and Triage tool identified by the Department and located in the SC EMS Protocol "Suspected Stroke."

B. After July 1, 2019, licensed EMS providers shall utilize SC EMS Protocol "Adult Stroke Patient Destination Determination by Stroke Center Capability" for transport of acute Stroke Patients to the closest Stroke Center within a specified timeframe of onset of symptoms unless one (1) or more of the following exceptions apply:

1. It is medically necessary to transport the patient to another hospital;

2. It is unsafe or medically inappropriate to transport the patient directly to a Stroke Center due to adverse weather or ground conditions;

3. Transporting the patient to a Stroke Center would cause a shortage of local EMS resources (defined as no resources available for longer than thirty (30) minutes in a reasonable response area) and air transport is unavailable;

4. No appropriate Stroke Center is able to receive and provide stroke care to the Stroke Patient without undue delay; or

5. Before transport of a patient begins, the patient requests to be taken to a particular hospital that is not a Stroke Center or, if the patient is less than eighteen (18) years of age or is not able to communicate, such request is made by an adult member of the patient's family or a legal representative of the patient.

Notes

Added by State Register Volume 42, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/25/2018.