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COLUMBIA (WACH) -- The American Heart Association celebrated a victory at the State House Wednesday.  The Stroke System of Care Act is now law.

South Carolina has consistently had one of the highest stroke death rates in the nation.

Health officials and legislators say the new law will bring critical improvements in stroke systems and care and will have an impact for years to come.

"What we're taking today is the first step in organizing our medical care in order to provide more rapid response to someone with stroke," Robert Adams of the MUSC Stroke Center says.

Sen. Darrell Jackson was a primary sponsor for stroke care legislation and was honored by the American Heart Association as Legislative Champion of the Year.