
By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Regional Medical Center is using telemedicine to provide more Neurology services to its patients.
"We have been doing teleservices for the past five years, mainly for stroke cases," said Jarrod Urban, Director of Quality Patient Experience at Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System. "We want to get that emergent stroke case in the ER taken care of in the ER as quickly as possible. With the retirement of the two neurologists that we had in town, we saw a need for filling the gap in the coverage for acute care."
The neurologists from Jayhawk Tele-Neurology are able to provide inpatient care via video.
"We have five carts from throughout our building that allow the neurologist to sit in front of the patient, complete a full exam on the patient, order tests and medicine, round on them every day, just like your regular doctor would," Urban said. "They're rounding from other places outside of the state."
If there is a surgical component, that would need to be dealt with at another facility, but general neurologic care can be provided here in Hutch.
"Strokes, seizures, epilepsy for instance, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Alzheimer's, stuff like that," Urban said. "We're just trying to provide a service in our community that keeps patients in our community where their families are."
Urban noted that a patient is likely to have the same specialist throughout their time if they need them during a stay, even though the hospital may have up to 12 different physicians rotating on cases once things are fully up and running.