Stroke Systems of Care (SSoC) Plan

North Carolina was one of two states that received funding from Association of State and Territorial Health Officials to complete a Stroke Systems of Care (SSoC) plan for the state. NC has been engaged in a statewide SSoC planning initiative that builds on the infrastructure already in place through the work of the Stroke Advisory Council of the Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force.

Since August 2010, approximately 80 individuals have worked on the development of the SSoC Plan. They represented a range of expertise and diverse points of view along the continuum of stroke care. This large group was further divided into five work groups including- Prevention/Public Awareness, Pre-Hospital Care, Acute/Subacute Care, Recovery/Transitions of Care and Telestroke. Each work group was charged with developing specific recommendations for their topic area. The resulting plan is a comprehensive and integrated approach that addresses identified needs and reduces disparities.

Steps are underway to move the plan into the implementation phase. Since the plan spans five years, the first step will be to have each of the five work groups prioritize their recommendations and reflect them within the five-year time line. The time line will provide critical milestones against which to measure progress. A no-cost extention of the project until August 2011 will allow for the implementation of the plan.