In the Neuro ICU unit at St.Lukes Hospital there is technology you'd expect to see, like a Portable Cat-Scan tucked in a corner, but not far away something stands out.
There's more than just a video conference with Skype going on with the doctors here. The hospital is alleviating a doctor shortage by going long, long distance to an emergency room in Beaumont.
They call this Telestroke. The hospital started this a few months ago. Dr. Jose Suarez is one of the doctors on-call. Within minutes of an alert on his pager, Suarez is on a webcam in the ICU or on his personal computer.
Time is so critical for stroke victims because in most cases there's about a four hour window to get the right drugs.
"The great thing about this technology is that they can get this treatment faster," Suarez said.
St Luke's averages a few calls a week from the Beaumont Hospital. Doctors like Suarez can pull-up MRI images on one screen while talking to the ER nurse on another. Telestroke is part of a growing trend in a hospital near you.
St. Lukes is one of four hospitals nationwide using a new "Telemedicine" system. A robot records movements during cardiac surgery as a doctor on a video screen watches from anywhere in the world.
However; Telestroke costs about $2500 to set-up. That covers the cost of the computer and web cam. A small price to pay that can really payoff when someone's life is on the line and literally "online."
There's more than just a video conference with Skype going on with the doctors here. The hospital is alleviating a doctor shortage by going long, long distance to an emergency room in Beaumont.
They call this Telestroke. The hospital started this a few months ago. Dr. Jose Suarez is one of the doctors on-call. Within minutes of an alert on his pager, Suarez is on a webcam in the ICU or on his personal computer.
Time is so critical for stroke victims because in most cases there's about a four hour window to get the right drugs.
"The great thing about this technology is that they can get this treatment faster," Suarez said.
St Luke's averages a few calls a week from the Beaumont Hospital. Doctors like Suarez can pull-up MRI images on one screen while talking to the ER nurse on another. Telestroke is part of a growing trend in a hospital near you.
St. Lukes is one of four hospitals nationwide using a new "Telemedicine" system. A robot records movements during cardiac surgery as a doctor on a video screen watches from anywhere in the world.
However; Telestroke costs about $2500 to set-up. That covers the cost of the computer and web cam. A small price to pay that can really payoff when someone's life is on the line and literally "online."
