The Sutter Health Telestroke Program facilitates access to remote specialty care for patients across Northern California. We provide seamless connection between Sutter Health Stroke physicians and community hospitals near and far. Using video-teleconferencing, medical teams are able to consult with stroke experts in real time, in order to expedite diagnosis and treatment for stroke patients.
Most community hospitals lack consistent stroke neurology coverage. The Sutter Health Telestroke Program fills a critical access gap, through clinical and operational partnerships, allowing for timely expert treatment of critically ill stroke patients.
With the use of the most cutting edge technology, seamless integration with a centralized transfer center, and around-the-clock access to highly experienced stroke specialists, our program ensures the best coordinated patient care.
When a call is made to the telestroke hotline, the on-call stroke neurologist is rapidly connected to the local team. The teleneurologist reviews the case and diagnostic images and performs a video consultation. The telestroke physician can also connect with an interventional neuroradiologist or neurosurgeon to develop a coordinated treatment plan. If the patient requires immediate advanced intervention not available locally, the program includes a highly specialized priority transfer plan, coordinated through the Sutter Health Transfer Center.
The Sutter Health Telestroke Program also provides our partners with regular feedback sessions, including review of a metrics dashboard to ensure ongoing attention to quality and safety measures. The concierge technology support is a unique feature of our program that ensures there is always a resource available to optimize connectivity and troubleshoot in real-time. Education is a priority for our program, as we want to empower our local site partners. We provide live lectures on pertinent topics in the management of the stroke patient, with CME opportunities.
With stroke, you need to BE FAST. Time is critical for a stroke victim. Each minute, two million brains cells die. Learn the signs of stroke, and use Sutter’s BE FAST materials to spread awareness.
Judy Hall describes how the telestroke program at CPMC helped save her life, while delivering high-quality, personalized care.