Four San Fernando Valley hospitals will receive robotic equipment on Monday, to provide a new level of stroke expertise from the neurosciences team at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.

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Physician specialists from Providence Saint Joseph in Burbank will see and speak with patients via computer monitor, review initial tests and diagnose and direct treatment, courtesy of a state-of-the-art robotic system developed by InTouch Health and iRobot. The system includes mapping technology that allows the doctor to direct the robot to various patients on a single unit.

“Evidence shows far better outcomes for stroke patients who are treated as soon as possible by neurologists, but not all hospitals have interventional neurologists, neurosurgeons and other sub-specialists on staff,” said Patrice Hallak, regional director of neurosciences and orthopedics for Providence Health & Services, Southern California. “Our new 24-hour Telestroke Center brings the experts at Providence Saint to hospital bedsides across the Valley.”

Under a new partnership, Providence Saint Joseph will work with community hospitals – as well as sister hospital Providence Tarzana Medical Center – to visit virtually with patients and coordinate treatment. Also contracting are Sherman Oaks Hospital, Encino Hospital and Mission Community Hospitals in Panorama City.

All five contract with Emergency Medical Associates for Emergency Department physicians. Dr. Jason Greenspan is the project lead for telemedicine for the group and associate director of emergency medicine for Encino, Sherman Oaks and Mission.

“What’s really unique about this program is that we’re looking at using the resources of various different hospitals to bring better services to the entire community,” Greenspan said. “Stroke care is a great way to get started because it’s such a debilitating disease, and time is critical. You should never have to drive past your local ER to get expert stroke care because those few minutes are crucial.”

Through a secure two-way videoconferencing system, a Providence Saint Joseph neurologist can review patient records and diagnostic results, perform a full examination and consult with local clinicians to help determine the best course of treatment.

“This is the future of specialty medicine,” said Providence Saint Joseph neurologist Dr. Ronnie Karayan. “This entire program is about vastly improving outcomes for patients and their local hospitals.”

“With medical advances and a limited number of experts, it makes sense for community hospitals to pool resources to best serve their patients,” said St. Joseph neurologist Dr. Margarita Oveian. “This is especially important in an area like the Valley, where we see a significant number of aging members of the baby boom generation.”

Another tool for the Telestroke Center is Providence Saint Joseph’s critical care transport – an ambulance specifically used to transport patients from other hospitals to Providence Saint Joseph’s neurology and cardiology experts. Emergency Department nurses ride aboard the transport to begin treatment en route to the hospital.

Providence Saint Joseph’s Hycy and Howard Hill Neuroscience Institute is a leader in stroke care. The hospital has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission for Advanced Primary Stroke Centers.

About Providence Health & Services

Providence Health & Services, Southern California, is a Catholic not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing quality and compassionate health care and reaching out to the poor and the vulnerable in the communities it serves. Providence Southern California operates five award-winning acute-care medical centers in the Los Angeles area, providing a full continuum of healthcare services: Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, Providence Tarzana Medical Center, Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers in Torrance and San Pedro. The region also has numerous ancillary facilities including Hospice care, long-term care, numerous outpatient clinics, Providence Medical Institute, Providence High School and an affiliation with Facey Medical Group.

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