Beatty Highlights Ongoing Work to Improve Stroke Awareness, Research and Prevention
Beatty Highlights Ongoing Work to Improve Stroke Awareness, Research and Prevention
May is National Stroke Awareness Month
This month, as millions of individuals and organizations join together to raise awareness on stroke and work to reduce the incidence of stroke, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) continues to lead the effort in Congress to increase research funding, as well as to improve prevention and treatment.
During the 114th Congress, Beatty—a stroke survivor serving in the U.S. House of Representatives—introduced H.Res. 256, legislation which would designate May as Stroke Awareness Month. The resolution is supported by the National Stroke Association, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, and a bipartisan coalition of 22 Members of Congress.
Additionally, Beatty is the lead Democratic co-sponsor of the Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine (FAST) Act, H.R. 2799. As the name implies, the FAST Act will help more stroke victims gain access to fast, high-quality care, commonly called telestroke.
Each year, stroke affects 800,000 Americans and is responsible for more than 130,000 deaths. In fact, it is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. In response, Beatty, joined by 31 Members of Congress, sent a letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education requesting $1,695,180,000 in federal funds for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders (NINDS). Housed in the National Institutes of Health, NINDS supports groundbreaking research to improve the understanding of the nervous system and harness that knowledge to reduce the effects of neurological disorders, such as stroke.
“As a stroke survivor, I understand the magnitude of this disease and its life-changing effects. Stroke touches hundreds of thousands of American families each year,” Beatty said. “As we increase awareness, we must also ensure the treatment and outcomes for stroke are appropriately researched and funded, because stroke can strike anyone.”
Finally, this Congress, Beatty authored legislation to improve the employability of individuals affected by stroke, heart attack or other serious health issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stroke costs America $16.1 billion annually in lost productivity. Beatty’s bill, the Return to Work Awareness Act of 2016, H.R. 4560, if passed, would encourage the U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Accommodation Network (JAN) to promote awareness among stroke survivors and employers of the resources and accommodations available to help get stroke survivors back in the workforce earlier and more often.
“We can and must do more to prevent the incidences of stroke and improve resources for stroke survivors.” Beatty concluded, “I will continue to do everything I can to see that this happens.”