Time is critical when someone is experiencing a stroke. To help save precious time, UMass Memorial Medical Center is working with community hospitals to get treatment to stroke victims faster. The Telestroke Program allows Medical Center neurologists with expertise in stroke care immediate access via videoconferencing at three of our UMass Memorial community hospitals - Clinton, HealthAlliance and Wing Memorial - and our affiliate Heywood Hospital in Gardner to assess and diagnose a stroke patient as soon as he/she enters an emergency room.
By combining the latest in video, networking and software technology, this telemedicine system enables neurologists with expertise in stroke diagnosis and management at UMass Memorial Medical Center to examine and talk to a patient or his/her family as well as the doctor in real time at the community hospital.
Both the emergency room physician at the community hospital and neurologist also can view CT scans together, enabling them to work collaboratively throughout the patient care process. Once a diagnosis is made, the doctors decide on the most effective treatment plan hoping to lessen the symptoms and outcomes of the stroke, quickly.