Abstract T MP38: Impact of Community Stroke Education and Comprehensive Stroke Care in South Texas

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of our coordinated stroke education programs and establishment of comprehensive stroke care in South Texas border town on the utilization of and outcomes associated with thrombolytic use. Previous studies have identified prominent disparities in health care delivery in these regions of the United States METHODS: We identified all patients who had a discharge diagnosis of ischemic stroke from January 2010 till July 2014 at one Primary Stroke center in South Texas using ICD codes of 434.91, 433.31, 434.01 and 434.11. We studied the trend of growth in stroke care delivery over the last 5 years in the subset of patients who received intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA) and those who were treated with endovascular interventions. Starting in July 2012, a public stroke education plan was implemented over an 18 month period. The plan included an annual stroke symposium, quarterly education with early response t...