3. a. No later than June 1 of each year, the Commissioner of Health shall adopt a nationally recognized standardized stroke triage assessment tool to be used by emergency medical services providers and protocols for the treatment and timely transport of acute stroke patients to the hospital with the most appropriate level of stroke care capability for the effective and efficient treatment of the patient’s condition. No later than May 1 of each year, the Office of Emergency Medical Services in the Department of Health, in consultation with the Stroke Advisory Panel established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2019, c.476 (C. 26:2H-12.28a), shall provide the commissioner with a non-binding list of recommendations to assist the commissioner in adopting a stroke triage assessment tool and protocols pursuant to this subsection.

b. Each emergency medical services provider in the State shall implement the nationally-recognized standardized stroke triage assessment tool adopted pursuant to subsection a. of this section. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent an emergency medical services provider from adopting, or require an emergency medical services provider to adopt, additional stroke assessment protocols.

c. Each emergency medical services provider in the State shall establish pre-hospital care protocols related to the assessment, treatment, and transport of stroke patients, which shall include, but not be limited to, plans for the triage and transport of acute stroke patients to the most appropriate primary, thrombectomy-capable, or comprehensive stroke center or, when appropriate, acute stroke ready hospital, which is capable of providing the most effective and efficient treatment within a specified timeframe following the onset of symptoms.

d. Each emergency medical services provider in the State shall incorporate training on the assessment and treatment of stroke patients in its training requirements for emergency medical services personnel.

e. As used in this section, “emergency medical services provider” means any association, organization, company, department, agency, service, program, unit, or other entity that provides pre-hospital emergency medical care to patients in this State, including, but not limited to, a basic life support ambulance service, a mobile intensive care program or mobile intensive care unit, an air medical service, or a volunteer or non-volunteer first aid, rescue and ambulance squad.

L.2019, c.476, s.3.