Stroke Patients Benefit From New Technology at Rush Oak Park Hospital

Gerald Lordan has been able to experience medical care for strokes at with and without telemedicine. 

An Oak Park resident since 1982 and a world history teacher at for 21 years, Lordan had his first stroke in April 2010. He was sent downtown after being taken initially to Rush Oak Park. When he had a second stroke this past March, the hospital was able to let stroke experts examine him remotely so he could remain in Oak Park.

Since January, a telemedicine “robot” allows stroke patients at Rush Oak Park to connect with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, letting expert neurologists administer a diagnosis and treatment within a crucial time frame — about eight hours — and hopefully reduce brain damage and save lives.

By logging into a computer, a specialty trained stroke neurologist can speak and observe a patient in real time, regardless of how far away the patient is. The doctor controls the camera, allowing them to zoom and speak with the patient’s family and medical staff as well. The robot also gives the physician access to the patient’s medical records.

“It was a real benefit to me because my wife has a disability,” Lordan said. “She was not able to come down (the first time) and visit me, and that was really stressful for her to not be able to see me.”

Dr. James Conners, a neurologist at RUMC, said most hospitals don’t have a neurologist in the hospital at all times; many are concentrated at teaching hospitals.

“We’re able to increase the number of strokes we treat (with telemedicine),” he said. “All of our treatments we have are very time dependent. We can give thrombolytic, clot-busting medicine” within the specific time frame.

Connors said the national average for stroke treatment is about two percent, which means a lot of patients aren’t getting to the hospital quickly enough. Another factor, he said, is being evaluated, diagnosed and treated.

With this telemedicine, “we can be anywhere in the world, log on and help make the decision for the patient’s medical treatment,” Connors said. “It will lead to more patients being treated and surviving.”

Only in very severe cases would a stroke patient now need to be transferred from Rush Oak Park to Rush University Medical Center, he said.

“It’s not going to replace full evaluations, but [patients] can stay were they are, Connors said. “It’s something new that I think we’re going to see more of in the future.”

Lordan appreciates what telemedicine means for those who need immediate care.

“It’s a great combination of a local institution and a national medical quality treatment,” he said. “I can’t think of any hospitals in the nation that are better than Rush. We can benefit from the medical expertise while staying local.” 

He also was thankful that by being able to remain at Rush Oak Park, he could receive communion every day from people he knew. 

“From a medical perspective, there wasn’t that much of a difference,” Lordan said. “From a healing perspective, being able to stay in Oak Park really facilitated my recovery.”