Advocate Spotlight

Dr. Kerri Remmel is the Chair of the Stroke Center at the University of Louisville and the Associate Dean for Clinical Development and Regionalization, serves on the board of directors for the American Heart Association Great Rivers Affiliate and is the Co-Chair for the Kentucky Heart Disease and Stroke Program.

Dr. Remmel has been a longtime You’re the Cure advocate and champion for stroke systems of care in Kentucky, she has worked tirelessly to improve the healthcare delivery system for stroke patients from Pikeville to Paducah, and her work isn’t confined to the clinical setting.

For the last several years, Dr. Remmel has partnered with AHA advocacy staff to educate policy makers on the need for a statewide stroke system of care that addresses EMS, timely diagnosis and treatment and rehabilitation. Dr. Remmel had her first policy success in 2006 when she helped convince the state legislature to adopt a resolution encouraging the development of a statewide system of care for stroke. Passage of this resolution helped lay the groundwork for Senate Bill 1, which became a top priority of Senate President David Williams during the 2010 Kentucky legislative session.

Senate Bill 1 requires the state to designate Primary Stroke Centers and, thanks in large part to Dr. Remmel’s passion and perseverance, passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. Dr. Remmel gave generously of her time, speaking one-on-one with lawmakers, giving numerous interviews with the media and traveling to Frankfort on several occasions to provide expert testimony in committee hearings,

For her ongoing dedication to the mission of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, we were pleased to award Dr. Remmel as the 2010 Kentucky You’re the Cure Volunteer of the Year.