BATTLE MOUNTAIN - Battle Mountain General Hospital can now provide a higher level of care to patients experiencing a stroke as part of a new robotic telemedicine program offered by Northern Nevada Medical Center.
The program gives BMGH the resources of NNMC's Primary Stroke Center and allows local physicians access to neurologists 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Due to a national shortage of experienced neurologists, many patients in smaller communities experience a delay in treatment. That is changing.
"Our goal is to bring expert stroke care to patients in community hospitals, allowing patients to remain under the care of their primary physician and close to home whenever appropriate," said Alan Olive, CEO of Northern Nevada Medical Center.
The remote access robot is manufactured by InTouch Health and has been installed in more than 500 clinical locations throughout the world.
Within moments of a request for a medical consultation, an NNMC specialist can activate the robot to assess the patient as though he or she were in the same room.
The neurologist can view vital signs and charts, perform a full examination and interact and converse with the patient, family members and medical care providers.
"The ability for the consulting stroke neurologist to visually share in the evaluation experience, to participate in the patient's examination as if they were at the bedside with BMGH emergency room physician, and interact with family members, is invaluable in detecting stroke and in differentiating the low risk/minor stroke from potentially catastrophic stroke," said Phil Hanna, BMGH administrator.
This program also includes an education component. NNMC will provide BMGH with additional training to hospital staff so that more patients are able to stay in their local hospital.
In addition, NNMC will provide the materials necessary to educate the community on the importance of acting fast when there are signs or symptoms of a stroke.[[In-content Ad]]
