New Technology allows for faster assessment and treatment
Hardin Medical Center (HMC) is now using telemedicine technology to move care beyond the hospital to providequality and lifesaving patient care closer to home. The hospital recently partnered with TriStar Health to provide 24/7stroke care to patients. Hardin Medical Center CEO Jim Edmondson said, “Stroke care is one of the most time-sensitive emergencies wetreat at HMC. Getting our patients face to face with a neurologist as fast as possible is important, and now we can doit. We are very proud to offer this innovative technology to our patients, both emergent and inpatients. The level ofcare possible right here at home has been elevated greatly with the addition of telemedicine,” he added.
Telemedicine allows immediate access to acute stroke care-especially in more rural communities where neurologists arenot on call 24/7. Within seconds of a request for a consultation, a Hardin Medical Center ER physician can position thetelemedicine robot at a patient’s bedside and connect via the Internet to a TriStar Health neurologist specializing in strokecare. The robot provides two-way audio and video communication and many remote presence devices, such as anelectronic stethoscope.
The TriStar Health neurologist can remotely examine a patient’s ability to move and speak and even zoom in tocomplete a full exam.
By getting immediate access to a TriStar Health neurologist, patients may be eligible to receive time-critical medications such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which can save brain function and reduce disability. As a result, emergency physicians can more quickly treat stroke patients in the ER and reduce or eliminate long-term stroke impacts on patients. “When treating stroke patients, we know timeis brain—minutes and seconds matter. This technology will allow us to help so many stroke patients earlier when treatment is so critical,” said Chief Nursing Officer Wendy Trickey.
TriStar Health provides 24/7 access to stroke experts who will determine the best treatment plan and coordinate the rapidtransfer to a comprehensive stroke certified center. TriStar Health Certified Stroke Centers include TriStar Centennial Medical Center, TriStar Hendersonville Medical Center, TriStar Horizon Medical Center, TriStar Skyline Medical Center,TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center, TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center and TriStar Summit Medical Center in MiddleTennessee and TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital in South Central Kentucky.
Established in 1952, Hardin Medical Center (HMC) is a not-for-profit healthcare provider with the primary mission of offering safe, quality, compassionate care to its communities. HMC offers a wide array of healthcare services and outpatient clinics including general surgery, cardiology, cancer care, obstetrics, wound care, and a nursing home withrehabilitation center. Always striving to meet the healthcare needs of the communities it serves, HMC continues to growand improve with service line expansions, patient safety, and compassionate care.
To learn more about HMC, visit www.HardinMedicalCenter.org or call 731-926-8000.