Sutter’s California Pacific Medical Center Comprehensive Stroke Care Center is home to the Telestroke Program. This program connects CPMC’s stroke-care specialists with local doctors and community hospitals throughout Northern California. By video-teleconferencing, local doctors can consult with CPMC experts in real time and also share diagnostic images. The Telestroke Program also provides telephone consultations.
Many community hospitals don’t have 24-hour-access to interventional neuroradiologists or neurologists who specialize in stroke medicine. The Telestroke Program fills a critical gap, which is especially important for timely appropriate treatment of critically ill stroke patients.
Through the program, community hospital emergency departments have around-the-clock access to highly experienced board-certified stroke specialists and neurosurgeons. When a local doctor dials the stroke hotline, the doctor is connected to the on-call stroke neurologist within minutes.
The neurologist reviews the case and diagnostic images and, if needed, performs a video consultation with the local doctor and patient. The program can also provide consultations with the on-call interventional neuroradiologist or neurosurgeon to determine the best course of treatment. If the patient requires rapid advanced care not available locally, the program includes a high-priority transfer plan.
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.