WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. & NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Americans living in a region of the southeastern United States known as the “Stroke Belt” are known to have a 15 percent higher risk of stroke and suffer stroke mortality that is 30 to 40 percent higher than the rest of the nation.
One of the significant reasons the Southeast is burdened with such high incidence of stroke and stroke-related death is inadequate access to immediate intervention. Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and Specialists On Call (SOC) are partnering to create a 24/7/365 teleneurology network to bridge this gap in Tennessee. The Vanderbilt Neuroscience Network will provide hospitals statewide, via telemedicine, with immediate access to board-certified neurologists for patients suffering from stroke and other neurologic emergencies.
“The Vanderbilt Neuroscience Network is a cutting edge answer to a problem that has already cost our state countless lives and dollars,” said Howard Kirshner, M.D., professor and vice chair of the Vanderbilt Department of Neurology and director of the Vanderbilt Stroke Center. “Teleneurology is the most efficient way to help stroke patients receive appropriate care and it’s also the most cost effective. We look forward to rolling out this network to hospitals throughout Tennessee and helping stroke patients and their families get the very best neurologic care possible.”
VUMC’s partner in the Vanderbilt Neuroscience Network is Specialists On Call, the nation’s largest clinical telemedicine provider. Through other affiliations, Specialists On Call has already delivered more than 30,000 emergency consultations to patients nationwide.
Hospital members of the network will have immediate and around-the-clock access to neurologists in order to treat stroke patients, as well as the ability to transfer patients in need of stroke or cerebrovascular intervention to VUMC. In addition, VUMC will offer stroke education, stroke screening programs, and assistance with Stroke Certification to all hospitals within the network.
“Stroke shouldn’t define an entire population or area of our country,” added Dr. Joe Peterson, the C.E.O. of Specialists On Call. “Together, we’ll serve more patients than otherwise possible and improve outcomes for stroke patients across the region. We’re proud to be working with Vanderbilt University Medical Center and ready to make a difference.”
Specialists On Call
Specialists On Call, Inc. (SOC) is a Joint Commission-accredited organization that is changing emergency medicine. As the leading provider of emergency telemedicine consultations, SOC gives hospitals vital 24/7/365 access to more than 45 board certified, fellowship trained academic specialists, each with a minimum of 10 years experience. With operations on both coasts, SOC provides more than 1,100 emergency consultations per month for hospitals nationwide and hospital systems such as Vanguard Health Systems, HCA, Inc. and Tenet Healthcare Corporation.
For more information please visit www.specialistsoncall.com.