CarolinaEast Medical Center, a 350-bed facility serving the coastal Carolina region, faced a challenge familiar to hospitals everywhere: patient need for neurology and behavioral health services far exceeded local provider capacity. Rather than accept delays and transfers, CarolinaEast partnered with Access TeleCare to bring virtual specialty care directly to patients.
Closing Gaps in Specialty Care
With 24/7 teleNeurology coverage, patients now receive rapid stroke, seizure, and general neurology consults without leaving the hospital. Scheduled rounding and EEG interpretation ensure continuity of care and fewer transfers.
At the same time, telePsychiatry services integrated into emergency department workflows provide around-the-clock evaluations from board-certified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners — helping staff move patients safely through the ED and reducing overcrowding.
Stronger Access, Better Results
The impact has been substantial:
- 3,600+ virtual encounters each year across both specialties
- 92% growth in neurology Medicare revenue within five years
- 47 safe discharges per month supported by behavioral health consults
- 98% of patients served from underserved populations
“Adding teleNeurology and virtual behavioral health didn’t just fill a gap — it changed the trajectory of our care delivery,” said Michael E. Davis, M.D., vice president, medical affairs at CarolinaEast Health System. “We’re treating more complex patients in-house and doing more to serve our communities.”
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See how CarolinaEast and Access TeleCare are transforming specialty access across North Carolina.
