Premier Health Expands TeleStroke Network

Premier Health is expanding its TeleStroke Network to include Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, which is part of the Grand Lake Health System based in St. Marys, Ohio.

The TeleStroke Network provides real-time access to a Premier Health stroke specialist at all hospitals within the network, even if they are not stroke centers. It also includes Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton; Miami Valley Hospital South in Centerville; Miami Valley Hospital North in Englewood; Jamestown Emergency Center in Jamestown; Atrium Medical Center in Middletown; Upper Valley Medical Center in Troy; Wayne HealthCare in Greenville; and Wilson Memorial Hospital in Sidney.

The TeleStroke Network is a secure, two-way audio/video link that allows immediate access for a neurologist, emergency physician, patient, family, and caregivers to see and talk with each other to assess a patient’s medical situation and discuss critical next steps. The off-site neurologist can view the patient’s vital signs, X-rays, and other pertinent health information while visually examining the patient using a computer with a monitor and video camera that is wheeled to the patient’s bedside. The computer also provides access to the patient’s electronic medical record.

“Collaboration with the Premier Health TeleStroke Network is a logical next step as we continue to grow our Neurology Center with Drs. Natasha Alexander and Peter Maceroni,” said Kevin Harlan, president and chief executive officer of Grand Lake Health System, which serves people in west-central Ohio, including Auglaize and Mercer counties. “This collaboration will allow the Grand Lake Health System to continue meeting our community’s needs.”

Quick response to a stroke can be key to survival and recovery. Swift delivery of care can decrease long-term damage to the brain for an ischemic stroke and can be life-saving for a hemorrhagic stroke, especially before the blood vessel bursts. 

Back to the November 2018 issue of Premier Pulse