HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Regional Medical Center announced Wednesday that they have opened the Tele-Neurology Acute Care Consultation Service.
The service which kicked off Tuesday will offer a lengthy list of treatments including Stroke Alerts Coverage and Emergent Neurology Consulting in the Emergency Department.
The goal of the new service is to provide inpatient Neurology consultations to enhance care for patients experiencing seizures and post-stroke follow-ups. As neurological issues within our service area have increased, the number of service providers available to provide services has declined, particularly in our rural areas.
Peggy Tuxhorn, Chief Quality Officer for Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, said Neurology is the branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of disorders of the nervous system. “The nervous system is a complex, sophisticated system that regulates and coordinates body activities and is made up of two major divisions: the brain and the spinal cord,” Tuxhorn said. “The five most common neurologic disorders are headaches, strokes, seizures, Parkinson’s disease and dementia.”
The service is the result of a cooperative venture between Hutch Regional and Jayhawk Tele-Neurology, which is the Kansas Branch of Eagle-Med, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. A team of six specialists will be available 24/7 through a video hookup to diagnose and treat patients at Hutch Regional.
Ken Johnson, President and CEO of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System (HRHS), said the local inpatient Neurological service will eliminate the need for transfers out of our community for these treatments. “Reductions in read times on tests will speed reporting to providers in hours instead of days,” Johnson said. “The Tele-Neurology Acute Care Consultation Service is another example of Hutchinson Regional Medical Center striving to keep patients locally so more of our area residents can receive high quality care closer to home.”