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Wisconsin Coverdell Stroke Program: Stroke Transfer Map

Stroke patients often are transferred between hospitals for advanced care or resources. In 2021, the Wisconsin Coverdell Stroke Program surveyed hospital stroke coordinators to better understand patient transfer patterns. Our Stroke Transfer Maps show data from that survey. This data gives program partners insight. It helps us take action to improve stroke care.

Logo for the Wisconsin Coverdell Stroke Program

Take action

Our Stroke Transfer Maps help in these ways:

  • Hospitals and EMS (emergency medical services) providers can identify where their stroke patients are most often transferred.
  • Statewide stakeholders can help the Wisconsin Coverdell Stroke Program identify gaps in care. This includes access to hospitals and EMS.
  • Regional stroke coordinators can identify areas where stroke service may be inadequate. Communication with policymakers is the next step.

Stroke transfer maps

To view these maps on a desktop computer, hover over points and lines, or zoom in for greater detail. To view on a mobile device or tablet, tap on points and lines, or pinch to zoom. You’ll find definitions of hub and spoke hospitals below the maps.

Map of all Wisconsin

Map by hospital

Understanding our map data

Hospitals are represented on these map as dots. The smaller dots on the maps are spoke hospitals. Spoke hospitals are community hospitals where stroke patients often initially arrive. The larger dots are hub hospitals. Stroke patients are transferred to hub hospitals when they need a higher level of care. These often are referred to as tertiary centers.

Hospitals can receive stroke certifications from The Joint Commission (PDF) or DNV (PDF). Different colors on the maps show hospital stroke certification types, including:

  • Comprehensive stroke center.
  • Primary stroke center.
  • Acute stroke ready hospital.

The lines on the maps represent stroke patient transfers between hospitals. The lines join hospitals to show connections where spoke hospitals transfer stroke patients 25% or more of the time to hub hospitals. Driving distances and times were calculated using Esri’s Network Analyst extension and the Street Smart Data Compression Network Dataset in ArcMap 10.7. These data don’t reflect those distances or times.

About our data: How do we measure this?

Wisconsin Coverdell Stroke Program staff surveyed eight stroke coordinators across the five Wisconsin Local Public Health regions. Stroke coordinators identified hospitals where stroke patients were transferred to 25% or more of the time. We collected and reviewed data between December 2020 and March 2021. Wisconsin Coverdell Stroke Program staff and stroke coordinators will update these maps each year to reflect any changes in transfer patterns.

Learn about our partnerships with hospitals

Contact us

For more information about our stroke transfer maps, contact:

Ka Xiong
Stroke epidemiologist
Division of Public Health
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
ka.xiong@dhs.wisconsin.gov
608-266-115

Last revised February 14, 2024