Oct. 20, 2026: U.S. Congressman George Latimer (D-NY) and U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced the Stroke Education and EMS Care Improvement Act of 2026, a bill that directs the HHS Secretary to establish a standardized stroke education program for emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians.  

Stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability in the United States. Every minute matters when a stroke occurs, and the quality of pre-hospital care can significantly influence patient outcomes. However, EMS stroke training and treatment protocols vary substantially across states and regions, creating disparities in care and contributing to delays in diagnosis, treatment, and transport to appropriate stroke centers.

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is a procedure that can reduce death and disability for large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke patients, but only 3-7% of eligible LVO stroke patients receive this treatment. Treatment delays are associated with gaps in prehospital systems, including insufficient EMS recognition of LVO strokes, an absence of standardized triage protocols, and limited investment in EMS and public education. As a result, patients are often transported to the nearest hospital regardless of whether it has MT capabilities. Time is critical in LVO cases, and transferring hospitals usually adds hours to the time it takes for the patient to receive the necessary treatment, if they are even eligible at that point.

This bill would standardize EMS education in stroke care to ensure that EMS professionals are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize stroke symptoms, perform timely assessments, and route patients to the appropriate stroke care centers. A nationwide standardization of stroke education for EMS providers is critical to improving patient outcomes and addressing healthcare disparities in both urban and rural communities.

Congressman Latimer stated, “Across the country, stroke patients are losing critical minutes by not having access to appropriate care. I am proud to introduce this legislation alongside Congresswoman Debbie Dingell to establish standards to ensure stroke patients receive the most effective treatment on arrival. I look forward to continuing to work alongside the medical professionals, stroke survivors, and stakeholders who inspired this legislation to ensure the best outcomes possible for stroke patients.

The Stroke Education and EMS Care Improvement Act addresses these challenges by directing the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a standardized, evidence-based stroke education curriculum for EMS professionals nationwide. 

The Stroke Education and EMS Care Improvement Act of 2026 would:

-Improve early recognition of stroke symptoms by EMS personnel.

-Promote consistent, evidence-based pre-hospital stroke care across all communities.

-Enhance timely transport to certified stroke centers.

-Support rural and underserved EMS agencies through targeted training resources and grant opportunities.

-Strengthen data collection and quality improvement efforts to measure outcomes and reduce disparities in stroke care.

-Foster collaboration among federal agencies, EMS organizations, stroke experts, and healthcare stakeholders.

The bill has been endorsed by the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Florida Chapter of the National Association of EMS Physicians, Mission Thrombectomy, the Society of Vascular Interventional Neurology, and the World Federation of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology (WFITN).

You can find the bill here.