OhioHealth Stroke Network's Life-Saving Care Expands To Nelsonville And Martin's Ferry Communities With Support From Verizon

COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- OhioHealth is expanding its life-saving stroke care across the region through the OhioHealth Stroke Network with the support of the Verizon Foundation.

The OhioHealth Stroke Network is the first partnership for stroke treatment and research of its kind in Ohio and employs advanced telemedicine technology to help patients across the region receive the most advanced stroke care and appropriate intervention.

Emergency teams at partner hospitals receive immediate, around-the-clock access to stroke specialists at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital - a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and OhioHealth Grant Medical Center - a Primary Stroke Center, in Columbus. By enabling real-time communications between nurses and physicians at regional hospitals and OhioHealth neurologists in central Ohio, the OhioHealth Stroke Network saves valuable time and improves outcomes for stroke patients.

With the $65,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation, OhioHealth has expanded its Stroke Network services to Doctors Hospital Nelsonville in northwestern Athens County, and East-Ohio Regional Hospital in Martin's Ferry, located in Belmont County.  The addition of the two hospitals increases the OhioHealth Stroke Network to 21 member hospitals and benefits many patients when time is critical and a few hours can be the difference between full recovery and permanent neurologic damage. 

"The Stroke Network is the perfect example of everybody getting a 'win,' starting with the patient," commented Connie Gallaher, system vice president of neuroscience for OhioHealth. "By working together and meshing our talents and different levels of expertise, we are better able to serve our patients with advanced levels of care and accelerated diagnoses and therapies."

Mark Frazier, president-Ohio/Pennsylvania/West Virginia Region for Verizon Wireless, said: "OhioHealth continues to lead the way in healthcare innovation, employing the latest in technology to provide its patients with the most advanced care possible. Verizon is pleased to support the OhioHealth Stroke Network. The difference you are making in the lives of your patients and their families is monumental, and we are proud to be able to work with such a respected organization."

Verizon Foundation provides powerful solutions for critical societal needs in the areas of healthcare, education and energy management.  The Verizon Foundation's healthcare initiative supports technology-enabled patient care programs improving quality and access to care for underserved communities.    

Here's how the Stroke Network works: When a stroke victim is brought to a regional partner hospital's Emergency Department, the emergency medical team provides direct treatment on-site, while collaborating with OhioHealth's emergency stroke team using innovative real-time technology from a mobile cart.

The mobile cart, equipped with a two-way high definition camera and audio connection powered by REACH Health technology is located in the regional hospital's Emergency Department and connects to the OhioHealth Electronic Intensive Care Unit (eICU). The advanced technology allows OhioHealth stroke specialists, who are on-call around the clock, to actually see the patient. Through this technology, the specialists can evaluate the patient's condition, view test results, confer with the community hospital's physicians and help determine the correct course of treatment immediately.

If the patient needs additional specialized care, such as neurovascular intervention, OhioHealth will arrange for the patient's transfer to Riverside Methodist Hospital or Grant Medical Center. Afterwards, the patient can return to  his or her local hospital for further treatment or rehabilitation.

About Verizon Foundation
The Verizon Foundation is focused on accelerating social change by using the company's innovative technology to help solve pressing problems in education, healthcare and energy management. Since 2000, the Verizon Foundation has invested more than half a billion dollars to improve the communities where Verizon employees work and live. Verizon's employees are generous with their donations and their time, having logged more than 6.65 million hours of service to make a positive difference in their communities. For more information about Verizon's philanthropic work, visit www.verizonfoundation.org; or for regular updates, visit the Foundation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/verizonfoundation) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/verizongiving).

About OhioHealth
OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare organization serving and supported by the community. OhioHealth has also been recognized by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" for seven years in a row, 2007-2013.

Based in Columbus, Ohio, it is a family of 22,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, 17 hospitals, 21 health and surgery centers, home-health providers, medical equipment and health service suppliers throughout a 40-county area. OhioHealth member hospitals include Riverside Methodist Hospital, Grant Medical Center, Doctors Hospital-Columbus, Grady Memorial Hospital, Dublin Methodist Hospital, Doctors Hospital-Nelsonville, Hardin Memorial Hospital and Marion General Hospital. For more information, please visit our website at www.ohiohealth.com.

SOURCE OhioHealth