PREMIER HEALTH ADDS REMOTE STROKE CARE

Dayton-based Premier Health is expanding its remote stroke care service through a business deal with a rural hospital in St. Marys.

Premier, which has a network of hospitals and other health services, said Friday it would expand its TeleStroke Network to include Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, which is part of the Grand Lake Health System based about 60 miles north of Dayton.

The TeleStroke Network gives 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 so a neurologist, emergency physician, patient, family, and caregivers can see and talk with each other to assess a patient’s medical situation.

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, Premier said. The computer also provides access to the patient’s electronic medical record.

“With telemedicine, physicians who are specially trained in acute stroke care can be transported to the patient’s bedside instantly,” stated Bryan Ludwig, neurointerventional specialist at Miami Valley Hospital. “This allows for a rapid and thorough patient evaluation to determine if the patient is a candidate for acute stroke treatment.”