Longview (Texas) Regional Medical Center recently implemented telestroke and teleICU services to improve its emergency care, the Longview News-Journal reports.
The hospital deployed remote neurology services to support potential stroke patients in its emergency room. Through the program, ER staff will be able to consult with a remote neurologist to determine whether to administer tPA, a clot-dissolving drug commonly used as a stroke treatment.
Longview Regional Medical Center also introduced a telemedicine program into its 24-bed intensive care unit. The hospital staffs the ICU with board-certified critical care specialists between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. In the evening, patients in the ICU will have access to remote critical care specialists.