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New stroke care system activated at Memorial

The New York State Department of Health's new REACH Telemedicine Stroke Care Program has been activated and is now online at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center.

This program, designed to improve access to stroke care across the state, utilizes a hub and spoke approach with neurosurgeons at designated hub hospitals, such as the comprehensive Stroke Care Center at Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital in Buffalo, providing consultation and recommending treatment for stroke patients at designated spoke hospitals. Care decisions will be based on a real time assessment of the patient – including a live review of computed tomography (CT) scans – over a secure, HIPAA compliant internet connection.

Patients exhibiting stroke signs and/or symptoms should be brought to the nearest spoke hospital unless a hub hospital is closer.

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center is the only participating hospital in Niagara County.

The program works like this:

• A stroke patient is transported to Niagara Falls Memorial's ER1 Emergency Department.
• The ER1 emergency department will contact Millard Fillmore Gates Circle.
• A secure audio and visual link will be established between the patient at ER1 and the Stroke Care Center at Millard Gates.
• After completing a stroke assessment, which will include a CT scan, Memorial's neurologists/neurosurgeon and ER physician will consult with the Gates Circle stroke vascular surgeons to determine an appropriate treatment plan, including whether the patient needs stroke intervention.
• Treatment, including the administration, if appropriate, of clot-busting tissue plasminogen activator (or tPA), will be carried out by the spoke hospital doctor.