CSN awards funds to advance provincial stroke strategies

Canadian Stroke Network has awarded catalytic grants totaling $283,000 to advance provincial stroke strategies across the country.

• B.C. Stroke Strategy will receive will funding to support a stroke “collaborative” and presentation to provincial legislators.
• Saskatoon Health Region will receive funding to develop a plan for the implementation of a stroke unit at Royal University Hospital.
• The Heart and Stroke Foundation in Manitoba will receive funding for an economic analysis to provide justification to the provincial government for improved stroke services.
• Ontario Stroke Network will receive funding to make a case for rehabilitation best practices at the regional and LHIN levels.
• Quebec’s provincial stroke registry working group will receive funding to create a registry to evaluate and improve care.
• Health PEI will receive funding to evaluate the impact of organized stroke care in the province.
• Heart and Stroke Foundation in Newfoundland and Labrador will get funds to create the business case for the development of a provincial stroke strategy.

Since November 2003, a national effort has been under way to ensure that a coordinated and integrated approach to stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation exists in every province and territory in Canada. This initiative, called the “Canadian Stroke Strategy”, involved the development of national platforms in professional development, best practices, public awareness, and information and evaluation.

In turn, these national platforms helped support the development of provincial and territorial strategies to implement best practices in stroke prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reengagement.

Since 2003, progress has been made across Canada. Many provinces are well into the full implementation of their provincial strategies, while others are still in the process of implementing pilot or regional initiatives.