Southern Nevada residents in need of emergency medical care for a stroke may benefit from a Mayo Clinic "telestroke" program that is now available at all three campuses of Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican (Rose de Lima, Siena and San Martín). A recent agreement between St. Rose and Mayo Clinic in Arizona means the service featuring a portable, self-propelled robot has begun in southern Nevada. This service will compliment and augment the already robust certified stroke centers at all three campuses and Dignity Health is the first to partner with Mayo on this project in Nevada.
In telestroke care, the use of a telestroke robot located in a hospital lets a stroke patient be seen in real time by a neurology specialist at Mayo Clinic located in Phoenix. The Mayo stroke neurologist, whose face appears on the screen of the robot, consults with emergency room physicians at the sites and evaluates the patient.
Patients showing signs of stroke can be examined by the neurologist via computer, smart phone technology, portable tablets or laptops. In addition to assessment of the patient, the neurologist can view scans of the patient's brain to detect possible damage from a hemorrhage or blocked artery.
"Excellent, capable emergency physicians at Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican can ring the telestroke hotline and be instantly connected with Mayo Clinic's stroke experts," said Bart Demaerschalk, M.D., Professor of Neurology, and medical director of Mayo Clinic Telestroke. "Urgent and immediate virtual care can be provided to patients - collaboration between stroke neurologists and physicians at the remote sites has resulted in 96 percent accuracy in diagnosing stroke."
Rod Davis, senior vice president of operations at Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican stated, "Our mission is to provide quality health and wellness services where the patient, family and community come first. This newly formed relationship with the Mayo Clinic is another step towards achieving that mission. In collaboration with the stroke neurologists and our Emergency Department providers, immediate, life-saving interventions can begin shortly after the patient enters the ED. This new service affords the patient care in a collaborative setting and will ultimately save lives. We are very excited to be able to offer this service to the communities we serve."
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