Hendrick Health Speeds Stroke Care with TeleNeurology: How Hendrick Health and Access TeleCare Streamlined Stroke Response Systemwide

Access TeleCare Case Study

When every second counts, Hendrick Health’s partnership with Access TeleCare is making the difference. With stroke door-to-needle times consistently under 45 minutes, their teleNeurology program is transforming stroke care for rural Texas patients.

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Hospital Telemedicine Solutions

The Challenge:

Serving a mostly rural 24-county region of West Central Texas, home to approximately 400,000 residents, Hendrick Health faced a familiar but formidable challenge: too few neurologists to meet growing stroke care demand.

With limited local neurologist availability for emergent stroke coverage, meeting time-sensitive metrics for neurology care such as door-to-needle (DTN) proved increasingly difficult. Leadership recognized that to sustain high-quality stroke care and reduce patient transfers, they needed around-the-clock access to vascular neurology expertise. It became clear that stroke telemedicine was the solution they needed.

The Solution:

To expand access to immediate neurological expertise, Hendrick Health implemented Access TeleCare’s teleNeurology program across its three hospitals and freestanding emergency departments.

Using Access TeleCare’s Telemed IQ platform, stroke alerts are routed instantly to the on-call tele-neurologist. Within minutes, the neurologist joins the bedside care team via high-definition video on Access TeleCare’s telemedicine cart. The virtual neurologist is also able to access the patient’s EHR, imaging, and lab data in real time to provide prompt care.

Bedside nurses assist with assessments, while the teleNeurologist directs NIHSS scoring and determines eligibility for IV thrombolytics or endovascular thrombectomy. This process ensures swift, evidence-based decision-making — even in smaller facilities without in-person neurology coverage.

“For quality metrics, Access TeleCare has become a vital part of the stroke care team. Together, we’ve reduced call-to-screen times, shortened door-to-needle times, and improved outcomes for our patients and their families.”

– Martee Tebow, Stroke & Heart Attack Services Manager, Hendrick Health

When it comes to stroke, every second matters. For Hendrick Health — a three-hospital health system serving more than 400,000 residents across 24 rural counties in West Central Texas — improving response times wasn’t just a quality goal. It was a matter of saving lives.

Through Access TeleCare’s teleNeurology program, Hendrick Health connected its hospitals and freestanding emergency departments to a round-the-clock network of board-certified vascular neurologists.

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TeleNeurology solutions include:

Acute stroke care
24/7 remote EEG readings
Emergent neurology coverage
Inpatient neurohospitalist care

TeleNeurology Results

600% increase in teleneurology consults

After launching a teleStroke program, the health system saw a 600% increase in teleNeurology consults in the past 5 years

Door-to-needle times consistently under 45 minutes

With telemedicine, the hospital saw Door-to-needle times consistently under 45 minutes across all Hendrick Health campuses

Reduced transfers to quaternary facilities

Reduced transfers to quaternary facilities and improved outcomes for patients & families.

TeleNeurology Outcomes

With streamlined workflows and real-time neurology access, Hendrick Health has achieved measurable improvements in stroke response and outcomes. In the last five years, the teleNeurology consult volume has increased by 600% across the Hendrick Health system. This means more lives saved, improved outcomes, and increased quality of life for patients.

Hendrick Health has also reported a decrease in transfers for neurology patients to other facilities for higher levels of stroke care because patients are now able to get the care they need 24/7 at the Hendrick facilities – enabling them to stay closer to home.