1. A. Director.

   1. (1) The stroke center medical director shall be a physician with competence in caring for the acute stroke patient and be Board-certified or Board-eligible in:

      1. (a) Neurology;
      2. (b) Neurosurgery; or
      3. (c) Vascular neurology.

   2. (2) The stroke center medical director’s qualifications shall include:

      1. (a) Completion of a stroke fellowship or vascular neurosurgery fellowship and obtained vascular neurology certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology;
      2. (b) Active participation in the Stroke Quality Improvement Council (QIC);
      3. (c) 12 hours of category 1 CME credits related to stroke care annually;
      4. (d) Participation in at least one regional, national, or international stroke conference annually;
      5. (e) Participation in stroke patient morbidity and mortality reviews; and
      6. (f) Participation in stroke research and publication efforts.

2. B. Neurologists, Neurosurgeons, NeurInterventionalists, NeuroRadiologisst, NeuroIntensivists, and Vascular Surgeons. Qualifications for neurologists, neurosurgeons, neurointerventionalists, neuroradiologists, vascular surgeons and neurointensivists shall include:

   1. (1) Board certification or Board eligibility in their specialty as approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties;

   2. (2) Completion of:

      1. (a) A fellowship;
      2. (b) Demonstrated experience equivalent to completion of a stroke specialty fellowship appropriate to their area of expertise; or
      3. (c) Both of these;
   3. (3) 8 or more hours of category 1 or 2 CME credits per year related to stroke care;
   4. (4) Participation in stroke patient morbidity and mortality reviews; and
   5. (5) Participation in stroke research and publication efforts.

3. C. Emergency Physicians. The qualifications of emergency physicians who care for stroke patients shall include:

   1. (1) Board certification or Board eligibility in emergency medicine as approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties;
   2. (2) Participation in stroke patient morbidity and mortality reviews;
   3. (3) 4 or more hours of category 1 or 2 CME credits per year related to stroke care; and
   4. (4) Participation in stroke research and publication efforts.

4. D. Nurse Practitioners. Nurse Practitioners who care for stroke patients shall:

   1. (1) Hold a current license with the Maryland State Board of Nursing to practice as a registered nurse;
   2. (2) Maintain certification as a nurse practitioner from the American Nurses Credentialing Center or other certification organization as deemed appropriate by the Maryland State Board of Nursing; and
   3. (3) Be credentialed through the hospital’s credentialing process.

5. E. Physician Assistants. Physician assistants who care for stroke patients shall:

   1. (1) Have graduated from a physician assistant educational program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant or its successor;
   2. (2) Maintain current certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants;
   3. (3) Maintain an approved delegation agreement on file with the Maryland Board of Physicians; and
   4. (4) Be credentialed through the hospital credentialing process.

Authority: Education Article, §13-509, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: October 17, 2011 (38:21 Md. R. 1280)

Chapter revised effective January 1, 2022 (48:22 Md. R. 938)