Technology offers 24/7 access to HealthONE’s Telemedicine Network of neurologists and psychiatrists for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke victims and patients with neurologic and behavioral health needs.
Technology offers 24/7 access to HealthONE’s Telemedicine Network of neurologists and psychiatrists for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke victims and patients with neurologic and behavioral health needs.
Saratoga, Wyoming – HealthONE Virtual Network (H1VN) is now able to provide telemedicine stroke, acute-neurology, and psychiatry services to North Platte Valley Medical Center. The H1VN Telemedicine program is an innovative system that uses technology to bring the best of stroke, neurology and psychiatry care to the North Platte Valley in Southeastern Wyoming.
“Every second counts in minimizing the damage a stroke can cause to the brain – quick assessment and personalized care are key,” says Dr. Chris Fanale, who developed the H1VN Tele-Stroke Program. “Having this state-of-the-art telemedicine program puts the stroke specialist instantly in the room with a patient and ER physician. As a stroke neurologist, I can have a conversation with the patient and family, examine the patient’s ability to move and speak, and even zoom in to assess pupil reactivity. We can talk to EMS and ER staff, and assess monitors and vital signs immediately. There is no other system in the region that is currently offering this level of care to stroke victims.”
“Tele-psychiatry is equally as effective as face-to-face visits and allows us to offer high-quality psychiatric services round the clock regardless of where the facility is located,” explains Dr. Christine Charles, Tele-Psychiatry Regional Medical Director. “We have a core team of employed physicians who deliver timely, accurate, and complete psychiatric assessments and treatments, and work collaboratively with the hospital treatment team to effectively treat patients, reduce wait times and inappropriate commitments, and improve compliance.”
H1VN allows for a neurologist or psychiatrist to be linked via telemedicine cart to emergency physicians and providers at North Platte Valley Medical Center. By utilizing the H1VN technology, North Platte Valley Medical Center will be instantly connected to a psychiatrist or stroke-trained neurologist. The system allows patients suffering from neurological events, stroke-like conditions, or behavioral health episodes to be examined and diagnosed, while the patient is still in Saratoga.
The telemedicine technology utilizes a mobile cart with an onboard computer, monitor, high-resolution camera and microphone to simultaneously transmit the audio and video portions of a physician consult. Patient medical records, including radiology scans, can be accessed. The patient, local physician/provider and the neurologist/psychiatrist can conduct online consults anywhere there is an internet connection.
“I’m excited that we have access to world class psychiatrists and neurologists 24 hours a day,” says North Platte Valley Medical Center CEO Jeff Mincy. “This partnership will allow for faster care to the community – it is an invaluable asset to our emergency department.”
A stroke occurs when a clot blocks blood flow to the brain or when an artery in the brain ruptures, resulting in uncontrolled bleeding. Brain cells critically depend on a consistent flow of oxygen and glucose rich blood. When this flow is interrupted by a stroke, brain cells begin to die. Because our body cannot replicate nerve cells, strokes can lead to permanent brain damage and disability. The negative effects of stroke depend upon which part of the brain the stroke occurs in. Therefore, strokes produce a wide array of symptoms, including paralysis, inability to speak, memory loss, and loss of cognitive ability.
A need for mental health assistance may present in a variety of ways, through emergency medicine or inpatient care. Rapid evaluations can be requested to provide psychiatric medication recommendations, short term and long term treatment recommendations, and full psychiatric evaluations with diagnosis.
Telemedicine is used across the country for consults in a variety of medical specialties, including stroke, mental health, trauma care, burns, pediatric care, pharmacy, chronic care management, and many other areas. Telemedicine’s potential is vast, and has become an accepted practice in a growing number of remote communities.
Telemedicine is a significant and rapidly growing component of healthcare in the United States. There are currently about 200 telemedicine networks, with 3,500 service sites in the US. Over half of all U.S. hospitals now use some form of telemedicine.
About HealthONE
HealthONE, as part of the HCA Healthcare Continental Division, was named the top health system in the state by IBM Watson Health and our system was named one of the top five large health systems in the country. HealthONE and HCA Healthcare have also been named 11 consecutive times by Ethisphere as a World’s Most Ethical Company. HealthONE is the largest healthcare system in the metro Denver area with more than 11,000 employees. As part of the HealthONE system of care, The Medical Center of Aurora, Centennial Hospital, North Suburban Medical Center, Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, Rose Medical Center, Sky Ridge Medical Center, Swedish Medical Center, and Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital work together to provide a higher level of care. In addition, our family of services includes several hospital free-standing emergency departments and numerous ambulatory surgery centers, CareNow urgent care and occupational medicine clinics, physician practices, imaging centers, and AIRLIFE-DENVER, which provides critical care air and ground transportation across a seven-state region. Consistently among the Denver Business Journals’ list of top ten corporate philanthropists in the Denver-metro area, HealthONE provided $66M in uncompensated care, contributed more than $650,000 and supports over 150 organizations through cash and in-kind donations last year alone.
To learn more about the HealthONE family, visit HealthONECares.com.
About North Platte Valley Medical Center
After opening in May of 2023, North Platte Valley Medical Center is the most up-to-date medical campus in southeastern Wyoming. In addition to a 24-hour emergency room, they offer advanced imaging capabilities, including ultrasound, X-ray, digital mammography, CT, DEXA Scan and mobile MRI capabilities and feature an inpatient pharmacy, laboratories and physical and occupational therapy facilities. It is staffed with both fulltime doctors and mid-levels providers as well as professional staff in all other healthcare positions. The 25 beds are allocated between acute care and long-term care, enabling North Platte Valley Medical Center to offer nursing home and rehabilitation services to local residents.
To learn more about North Platte Valley Medical Center, go to npvmc.org.
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