OGDENSBURG -- Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center emergency room physicians can now connect with neurologists at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse through a special telemedicine program.

Through Upstate’s Telemedicine Network, Claxton-Hepburn personnel will now be able to provide Upstate neurologists with an array of information, including CT scans.

When a patient arrives in Claxton-Hepburn emergency room with what the healthcare team has determined are symptoms consistent with stroke, Claxton-Hepburn can receive a consult with an Upstate neurologist. Within minutes the neurologist will be able to view the CT scan, examine the patient and talk with patients, families and physician about possible treatment.

“Distance should never be a barrier to getting the best stroke care for patients,” said Upstate neurologist Dr. Gene Latorre. “Claxton-Hepburn’s Emergency Department providers will be encouraged and supported to keep uncomplicated patients in there in Ogdensburg. Should a patient need to be transported, consultation with the Upstate Stroke Center Specialist will be provided.”

“We are excited to begin this partnership with Upstate to provide more advanced stroke care in our Emergency Department to our patients,” said CHMC CEO Nate Howell. “Now we are able to provide a quicker diagnosis, which decreases a potential delay in treatment. Thanks to this technology in the treatment of stroke patients, our rural location is less of a barrier to care.”

“Our Telemedicine Network allows the North Country access to expert stroke care regardless of geography, said Jennifer Schleier, manager of The Comprehensive Stroke Center at Upstate. We have come to think of this program as stroke care without borders. It is our mission to close the gap been expert medical care and location of the patient, increase access to stroke treatments in rural communities, and to provide educational opportunities to any of our referring hospitals regarding stroke care.”

The standard protocol for ischemic (non-hemorrhagic) stroke treatment is intravenous tPA, a clot-busting drug that can provide the best benefit to patients if administered within a short time after the first signs of stroke.

“1.9 million neurons are dying every minute after a large vessel occlusion or stroke,” Schleier said. “Having access to an Upstate Neurologist who is miles away at a moment’s notice can make all of the difference in the world to the outcome of that stroke patient. We want to give stroke patients the best chance at not only survival but for a life with little or no disability.”

Upstate has partnered with FDRHPO (Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization), which deployed the telemedicine equipment to several North Country Hospitals in an effort to expand this network.