Emergent Stroke Ready (ESR) Hospitals

Emergent Stroke Ready Hospitals (ESRHs) are hospitals that diagnose, treat, and stabilize acute stroke patients before transferring them to a higher level of care when appropriate. These facilities are located throughout the state of Kansas and play a critical role in ensuring timely stroke evaluation and treatment.

ESRHs must annually attest to the Kansas State Stroke Task Force that they continue to meet the criteria outlined below. Hospitals designated as ESRHs must comply with these criteria 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

ESRH Designation Criteria

• Maintain written emergent stroke care protocols.
• Maintain a written transfer agreement with a hospital that has neurosurgical expertise.
• Designate a Director of Stroke Care to oversee hospital stroke policies and procedures. This may be a clinical staff member or a designee of the hospital administrator.
• Administer thrombolytic therapy (e.g., Alteplase) when clinically appropriate.
• Maintain the ability to conduct brain imaging tests (e.g., CT scan) at all times.
• Maintain the ability to conduct blood coagulation studies at all times.
• Report stroke data through a designated reporting tool (e.g., GWTG or the KISS SurveyMonkey reporting system).
• Provide community stroke education.