Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program

The Kentucky Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (KHDSP) Program promotes improved diagnosis of hypertension and improves stroke treatment. The KHDSP, in partnership with the KHDSP Task Force, leads the effort to transform cardiovascular health approaches and practices in the state using collaborative workgroups to turn knowledge into behavioral change and increase use of evidenced-based guidelines for health systems change.

Program Categories of Work

Surveillance and epidemiology
Environmental approaches
Health systems improvements
Community-clinical linkages

The strategies for KHDSP are to promote reporting of blood pressure and initiate activities to promote clinical innovations, team-based care and self-monitoring of blood pressure; promote awareness of high blood pressure among patients; increase implementation of quality improvement processes in health systems; increase use of team-based care in health systems; and to increase use of healthcare extenders in the community in support of self-management of high blood pressure.

Certified Stroke Centers in Kentucky

Acute Stroke Ready Hospitals - ASRH (26)

ASRH always have a stroke team available with physicians privileged in the diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke or telemedicine available within 20 minutes, computerized tomography (CT) and laboratory testing available constantly, can deliver intravenous thrombolysis around the clock and transfer protocols in place when a higher level of care is needed.

Primary Stroke Centers - PSC (19)

PSC must meet all ASRH requirements, have dedicated in-patient beds for the acute care of stroke patients, have advanced radiology imaging available around the clock, may be capable of performing endovascular therapy (clot retrieval) and can potentially admit hemorrhagic strokes.

Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center - TSC (2)

TSC must meet all PSC requirements, have advanced imaging capabilities, meet standards for performing endovascular thrombectomy (clot retrieval) and providing post-procedural care, possibly admit hemorrhagic stroke patients and potentially perform research.

Comprehensive Stroke Centers - CSC (4)

CSC must meet all TSC requirements, as well as be able to meet concurrently the emergent needs of multiple complex stroke patients, admit hemorrhagic stroke patients, have neurosurgical capability around the clock and perform research.

Certified Stroke Centers_KY-February 2025

Updated: February 2025

Sources: The Joint Commission, Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program and the American Heart Association

Recognized Cardiac Care Levels in Kentucky

Level I: Comprehensive Cardiac Center

A level I Comprehensive Cardiac Center is a receiving center staffed and equipped to provide total care for every aspect of heart attack care, including care for patients with complications. It functions as a resource center for the hospitals within that region and conducts research.

Level II: Primary Heart Attack Center

A level II Primary Heart Attack Center is a receiving center staffed and equipped to provide care for a large number of heart attack patients within the region.

Level III: Acute Heart Attack Ready

A level III Acute Heart Attack Ready Center is primarily a referral center that provides prompt assessment, indicated resuscitation, and appropriate emergency intervention for heart attack patients to stabilize and arrange timely transfer to a level I or II heart attack center, as needed.

State Approved Certificate of Need

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a minimally invasive procedure to open blocked coronary (heart) arteries.

Open-Heart Surgery

Open-heart surgery is any type of surgery where the chest is cut open and surgery is performed on the muscles, valves, or arteries of the heart. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the most common type of heart surgery done on adults. During this surgery, a healthy artery or vein is grafted (attached) to a blocked coronary artery.

December 2024 Recognition in the Kentucky Statewide System for Heart Attack Response and Treatment