TVHD Announces Dignity Health Memorial Hospital as Telemedicine Stroke Partner

In recognizing May as Stroke Awareness Month, at the Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District’s (TVHD) Board of Directors April 30 meeting, CEO Evan Rayner announced that TVHD will be partnering with Dignity Health Memorial Hospital (DHMH) for stroke telemedicine services to be launched for the Tehachapi community at TVHD’s emergency department. “We are very excited and honored to have this partnership and utilize this innovative technology with Dignity Health Memorial Hospital to support stroke victims in our community and enhance the overall quality of life for our district,” said CEO Rayner. Every 45 seconds someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke and every three minutes, someone dies from that stroke. Currently, it is the fourth leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability. Time is of the essence in treating stroke. Bringing innovative professionals and telemedicine technology together in real time to offer life-saving treatment within minutes of presentation to the hospital can make a real difference in the lives of patients and their families. Dignity Health Memorial Hospital CEO Jon Van Boening stated, “These partnerships enable us to assist in expanding our expertise and technology to the outlying communities we serve and are delighted to partner with TVHD and save lives.”

Through the use of telemedicine, emergency department physicians will have the ability to access a board certified neurologist 24/7 to evaluate a patient in real time and advise on a treatment plan. Treatment options do exist, but they must be started within three to four-and-a-half hours of onset of stroke symptoms. Prior to the use of telemedicine, rapid neurology evaluations were not available and patients most likely would go untreated. Early treatment can help minimize the devastating effects of stroke such as paralysis, speech impairment and, most important, death.

“Our timeline for this program is to be operational in approximately 60 days. We look forward to working with Dignity Health Memorial Hospital and their assistance in TVHD becoming a primary stroke certified hospital in approximately one year to one and a half years” said CEO Rayner.

In honor of Stroke Awareness Month, the Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District and Dignity Health Memorial Hospital will be offering a complimentary educational Stroke Awareness session on May 20, 2014, 6 p.m., at the Tehachapi Area Association of Realtors Office, 803 Tucker Rd., Tehachapi, CA 93561, to educate the general public on symptoms of stroke and stroke awareness. Please call 661-823-3006 for more information on the education class being offered.

Tehachapi hospital is a 25 bed, general acute care hospital located in Tehachapi, CA. Dignity Health Memorial Hospital is a 426 bed, general acute care hospital located in Bakersfield, Calif. and is part of Dignity Health, which owns and operates twenty-five acute care hospitals throughout California and Nevada.