Faces of Mercy - Telestroke

Dr. Doug Ross's Story

As a Mercy ER physician in Hot Springs, Ark., Doug Ross, MD, is often the first line of defense when it comes to treating stroke patients. He’s also very familiar with the statistics.

“In Arkansas, we’d love to be No. 1 – in college football. Unfortunately, we’re No. 1 in stroke deaths. That’s something that has to change and Mercy’s telestroke program is going to help us do that,” he said.

The saying “Time is Brain” is commonly used in relation to stroke cases. Simply put, the faster a stroke patient gets to the ER, the more likely they are to regain full brain function. Without 24/7 availability of a neurologist, a patient’s chance of a full recovery is slim. With the Mercy telestroke program, a board-certified neurologist is able to see the patients within minutes via a two-way video system.

“It’s just as if they were standing at the patient’s bedside caring for them,” said Dr. Ross. “Some early studies show this model of care for stroke is better because these neurologists can be at the bedside making decisions within five to 10 minutes. Traditionally, we have to call in a neurologist from home in the middle of the night or from a busy practice and that takes time. The clock is ticking and the earlier we can initiate some of these new stroke therapies, the better.”

Mercy recently launched the telestroke program in Hot Springs, Ark., Springfield, Mo., and Rogers, Ark., with other Mercy hospitals across four states coming online soon. Click here to find out how Mercy’s telestroke program made all the difference for couple in Arkansas. Click here to read the story in full.

Lana Lambert's Story

Lana Lambert knows how valuable time is when treating stroke patients. As a nurse stroke coordinator at St. Joseph’s Mercy in Hot Springs, Ark., Lambert has already seen the benefits of Mercy’s telestroke program. Instead of waiting for a neurologist to drive to the hospital which can eat up precious time, patients can now be seen via a high-tech, two-way video system by a physician from many miles away.

For one Arkansas man who recently suffered a stroke, Mercy’s telestroke program made all the difference. Just 10 days after his stroke, he walked out of the hospital on his own.

Partnering with NeuroCall, Mercy now has a neurologist on-call 24/7.  “We are excited about being able to offer immediate care to our patients,” said Lambert.

Mercy recently launched the program in Hot Springs, Ark., Springfield, Mo., and Rogers, Ark., with other Mercy hospitals across four states coming online soon. Click here to read the story in full.

Dr. Christopher Veremekis' Story

Whether you live in a big city or small town, Mercy’s goal is to provide stroke care 24 hours a day wherever you live. For many hospitals nationwide, it’s difficult to assess and treat stroke patients quickly, and the pool of physicians who treat strokes is shrinking.

“With a team of stroke experts available 24/7 and the use of high-tech, powerful cameras, that provide live video, we can rapidly diagnose and treat stroke patients,” said Chris Veremakis, MD, medical director of Mercy’s Center for Innovative Care. “The moment you have a stroke, the sand in the hourglass starts running out and if you don’t get care quickly, many people die or have to live with severe disabilities.”

Mercy recently launched the program in Hot Springs, Ark., Springfield, Mo., and Rogers, Ark., with other Mercy hospitals across four states coming online soon.

David and Karin Richardson's Story

David and Karin Richardson celebrated their 25^th wedding anniversary last April. Thanks to Mercy’s new telestroke program, it appears they’ll be able to celebrate No. 26 next year. Just 18 days after Mercy put in place technology which gives access to highly skilled neurologists around the clock, a clot-busting drug saved David’s life.

Mercy recently launched the program in Hot Springs, Ark., Springfield, Mo., and Rogers, Ark., with other Mercy hospitals across four states coming online soon. For patients, it’s welcome technology. 

“I can’t thank them enough for giving me my life back,” said David, a 55-year-old disabled Navy veteran who lives in Fountain Lake, Ark. “I’m fairly healthy. But being in the emergency room in that setting, I was scared, really scared. But it’s not time for me to check out yet.”

By the time David reached the intensive care unit, he was already able to move his hand. Later that night, his speech returned to normal. Just 10 days later, he walked out of the hospital.

“I knew there was a clot-busting drug, but I didn’t know Mercy had it. I was thinking we might have to go to Little Rock. I’m so glad we didn’t,” Karin said. “Mercy saved his life.”