Thanks to our innovative communications technology, patients with neurological disorders now have 24-hour access to some of the finest medical experts in the country, especially in an emergency. We’re partnering with Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston; via streaming video, their doctors help consult and treat patients at Central Maine.

How Our Telemedicine & Telestroke Programs Work

When you come into a Central Maine emergency room with a possible stroke, doctors have only a few minutes to assess your problem and begin treatment. Now, through our Telemedicine program, the ER doctor can instantly contact emergency doctors on duty at Massachusetts General, send your medical reports, images and lab results to them electronically, and work together to get you a fast diagnosis and treatment.

Our Telestroke program helps doctors collaborate and decide, for instance, whether you might need a blood thinner, clot-busting drug or other medications. Massachusetts General’s neurologist is always on call, as if he or she were right there at your bedside.

In the case of seizures or sudden paralysis, the immediate consultation is golden, but we don’t only use Telemedicine for emergencies. We’ve already found it to be immensely useful for second opinions, when the patient isn’t in crisis. The streaming video also is helpful when we need to monitor the patient, watching for signs of a stroke or other medical event, and can intervene quickly. It’s clinical care from a distance.

And if you do need to transfer to another facility for more specialized stroke care, your team at Central Maine will partner with your “virtual team” at Massachusetts General to make your transfer fast and seamless.