HB 1545
In CommitteeHouse
Cardiac and stroke outcomes
Improving cardiac and stroke outcomes.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill establishes a statewide system to improve emergency cardiac and stroke care by requiring data collection, performance evaluation, and quality improvement efforts led by the Department of Health. It creates a confidential registry to track care delivery and outcomes, and mandates reporting and analysis to guide system-wide improvements and public education.
- Creates a statewide cardiac and stroke registry managed by the Department of Health to collect data on heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest, and stroke care—including timeliness, performance, and outcomes—from hospitals and emergency medical services providers.
- Requires hospitals to submit data quarterly beginning July 1, 2027, and EMS providers to submit data through the existing Washington Emergency Medical Services Information System.
- Mandates the Department of Health to develop a continuous quality improvement system, analyze performance data, and issue quarterly reports to the emergency medical services technical advisory committee and annual public reports starting in 2028.
- Requires the 2028 report to include recommendations on whether on-site verification of hospitals’ adherence to cardiac and stroke care standards is needed to ensure safe, timely, evidence-based care.
- Provides for confidentiality of patient, provider, and facility-level outcome data, making it exempt from public records requests, subpoenas, and court admissibility.
- Authorizes the Department of Health to provide technical assistance, public education on stroke and heart attack warning signs, and support for rural and critical access hospitals—including equipment, data platforms, and staff training.
Who is affected
- Hospitals — Hospitals must begin submitting data on heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest, and stroke care quarterly starting July 1, 2027, including information on timeliness of care and patient outcomes; must use existing data systems where possible and receive technical assistance from the Department of Health.
- Emergency medical services providers — Ambulance and aid services (EMS providers) must submit cardiac and stroke-related data through the Washington Emergency Medical Services Information System starting July 1, 2027, and may receive support for equipment upgrades and staff training—especially in rural areas.
- Critical access and rural hospitals — Critical access and rural hospitals may receive state support for data platforms, equipment, and staff training to help meet reporting requirements and improve care for cardiac and stroke patients.
- General public — The general public benefits from improved emergency cardiac and stroke care, increased public awareness of warning signs, and faster access to life-saving treatment through system-wide quality improvements.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (4)
The bill mandates use of existing data systems, aggregate reporting, and feedback loops to participating providers—enabling real-time performance benchmarking and quality improvement, which can directly reduce time-to-treatment and improve survival/disability outcomes for all patients, especially in time-sensitive emergencies like stroke and cardiac arrest.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 4(2)(c), Sec. 4(5)(a), Sec. 9(6), Sec. 9(8)Targeted support for rural and critical access hospitals—including equipment, data platforms, and staff training—combined with public education campaigns on warning signs, helps reduce geographic disparities in emergency cardiac/stroke care access and outcomes.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 6, Sec. 7Mandated on-site verification assessment (2028 report) and continuous quality improvement oversight create a framework for systemic accountability, potentially reducing preventable deaths by identifying and correcting gaps in care delivery across regions.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 4(5)(b), Sec. 9(3), Sec. 9(5)Technical assistance to hospitals—including those lacking existing registry participation—helps standardize data collection and reduce variability in reporting, improving reliability of system-wide performance assessments.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 4(4)
Potential Concerns (3)
Confidentiality provisions (Sec. 8) prevent public or judicial access to individual-level patient, provider, or facility outcome data, limiting transparency and potential legal accountability for substandard care—especially in cases where systemic failures may contribute to preventable deaths or disabilities.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 8While the bill provides technical assistance to rural hospitals and public education, funding is explicitly limited to amounts “appropriated for this specific purpose,” meaning success depends on annual budget allocations—creating risk of underfunding, especially during fiscal downturns, and leaving rural and underserved areas vulnerable to inconsistent support.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 6 & Sec. 7The requirement for hospitals and EMS providers to begin data reporting only in 2027 creates a 2-year lag before any quality improvement feedback or oversight can begin—delaying potential life-saving interventions during a critical period when Washington’s cardiac/stroke outcomes remain below national benchmarks.
Public SafetyLean peopleRef: Sec. 4(5)(a)
Who Is Most Affected
Rural and critical access hospitals benefit significantly from state support for data platforms, equipment, and staff training—reducing their burden of building new reporting infrastructure from scratch. However, they face compliance deadlines starting July 2027, and success depends on sustained funding.
Hospitals gain access to standardized data feedback and quality improvement tools, but must invest staff time and resources in quarterly reporting beginning 2027. Larger hospitals may adapt more easily; smaller facilities may need external support to meet requirements.
EMS providers must submit data via existing systems, minimizing new administrative burden, and may benefit from equipment and training support—especially in rural areas. However, they have no direct say in data design or reporting standards.
The general public—especially those at risk for stroke or cardiac arrest—benefits from faster emergency response, improved public awareness, and system-wide quality improvements. However, benefits are indirect and may take years to materialize fully.
Patients and families may benefit from improved care quality and outcomes, but the confidentiality provisions (Sec. 8) block access to individual outcome data, limiting legal recourse or transparency in cases of suspected substandard care.