3 / 4
A N N U A L
S G M H F O U N D A T I O N
D I N N E R
w
3
www.sgmh.orgCOMING IN 2016
Fire and Ice Ball
The San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Foundation’s annual dinner and Perfect
Partner celebration is an event you won’t want to miss! Invitations and more
information to follow soon.
IT’S
amazing what digital technol-
ogy can do these days. In our every-
day lives, we can share our snapshots
immediately with friends or use a
webcam to both see and hear distant
relatives. In a similar way, technol-
ogy in emergency departments is
helping physicians deliver timely
stroke care.
Telemedicine uses a video confer-
ence system and a web connection
to link emergency departments to
stroke specialists whenever their
expertise is needed. Without being
physically at the hospital, the spe-
cialists can examine and speak with
stroke patients here and consult with
physicians using equipment that
includes a webcam and video screen.
Telemedicine brings
stroke specialists to you
And the specialists are available
24 hours a day. This is essential
because time is crucial when some-
one is having a stroke.
Immediate action
Most strokes happen when a
clot blocks blood flow to the brain,
robbing its cells of the oxygen they
need. A clot-busting drug called
TPA (tissue plasminogen activa-
tor) can restore blood flow and help
prevent disability in people who
have these strokes. To work best, it
must be given within three hours
of the onset of symptoms and only
after doctors determine whether
the patient is a candidate for TPA.
Often, making that decision requires
Look for telemedicine
services at San Gorgonio
Memorial Hospital soon!
consultation from a neurologist who
specializes in strokes.
That’s where telestroke comes in.
When a person who may be having
a stroke arrives at the emergency
department, doc-
tors can activate
the secure system
to connect with a
remote neurolo-
gist, if an in-house
neurologist is not
immediately available. The distant
stroke team member can see and
hear the patient and emergency de-
partment doctor and vice versa. The
neurologist can do a stroke exam,
review brain scans, take a patient
history and work with the emer-
gency physician. The result is a swift
determination as to whether TPA or
other treatments are needed.
Be a partner—learn the signs
Telestroke is a partnership that
helps us deliver stroke care as
quickly as possible. But you’re a part-
ner too. Learn stroke’s warning signs,
and call 911 right away if you spot
them in yourself or someone else.
They come on suddenly and include:
w
w
Numbness or weakness of the
face, arms or legs—especially on one
side of the body.
w
w
Confusion or trouble speaking or
understanding speech.
w
w
Trouble seeing.
w
w
Dizziness, loss of balance or coor-
dination, or trouble walking.
w
w
Severe headache with no obvious
cause.