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Network to provide Owatonna Hospital with 24-hour access to metro area stroke care experts
OWATONNA, MN 55060 02/21/2011--Patients at Owatonna Hospital will have 24-hour access to stroke care experts at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis via the Allina Telehealth Network, beginning Tuesday, March 1.
Benefits to patients
The Allina Telehealth Network offers patients many benefits:
- immediate, 24-hour bedside access to stroke care experts who may not be available at community hospital
- improved timeliness of stroke care, which results in a greater chance for a successful recovery and mitigates long-term disability resulting from stroke
- a shorter length of stay in the hospital because of immediate access to care
- ability to receive care locally and close to home, which is more convenient for patient and patient’s family
- reduced medical expenses if transportation to a metro facility is not required.
As with any medical emergency, the faster a patient receives proper treatment, the better the chances are for a successful recovery. This is especially true for stroke patients, as restoring blood flow to the brain minimizes the potential for long-term damage or impairment.
In the metro area, Allina Hospitals & Clinics is a leading resource for comprehensive stroke care, with 24-hour access to neurologists, interventional neuroradiologists and neurosurgeons. However, access to this level of expertise in regional hospitals is limited. That's about to change in Owatonna.
The Allina Telehealth Network allows Abbott Northwestern stroke neurologists to provide real-time, around-the-clock neurological assessments via telehealth equipment placed in the emergency departments at Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Owatonna Hospital.
The overall goal is to provide patients at regional hospitals, like Owatonna, with access to resources and specialty care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"Timeliness of care is especially important when caring for a stroke patient, since time essentially equals the amount of brain functioning that can be preserved," said Penny Wheeler, MD, chief clinical officer, Allina Hospitals & Clinics.
"Telehealth will enable more rapid assessment by stroke experts for patients in regional areas. By doing so, our goal is to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes by allowing patients to receive care close to home, improving quality, and ensuring a well coordinated transfer when more advanced treatment is required."
Owatonna Hospital joins Buffalo Hospital and New Ulm Medical Center, who went live with the Allina Telehealth Network in August 2010.
About Abbott Northwestern and Owatonna hospitals
Abbott Northwestern and Owatonna hospitals are part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, a not-for-profit system of hospitals, clinics and other health care services, providing care throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Allina owns and operates 11 hospitals, more than 90 clinics and other health care services.
- Rated one of America's Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report in the specialty of orthopaedics, Abbott Northwestern Hospital provides an integrated, quality-care approach to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of orthopedic conditions. Each year, we perform more than 4,000 orthopedic procedures.
- Owatonna Hospital is a not-for-profit hospital committed to providing exceptional care and improving the health of the communities it serves in and around Steele County. Owatonna Hospital provides a full range of health care services including a birth center, emergency care, surgery and rehabilitation. Allina has built a replacement hospital in Owatonna, off Interstate 35.
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