Swedish TeleStroke Network

Swedish Neuroscience Institute continues to expand its Acute Stroke Telemedicine network to include hospitals and stand-alone emergency departments in multiple locations throughout Washington.

The network began in October 2007 with two emergency departments – one at Swedish/Ballard and one at Swedish/Issaquah. Since then the network has grown to include all of the Swedish stand-alone emergency departments and numerous non-Swedish hospitals throughout Washington.  The network continues to grow as hospitals and emergency departments implement procedures that will ensure stroke patients receive critical treatment as quickly as possible.

• The Swedish Neuroscience Institute
• Central Washington (Wenatchee)
• Island Hospital (Anacortes)
• Jefferson Healthcare (Port Townsend)
• Lake Chelan Community Hospital
• Olympic Medical Center (Port Angeles)
• Skagit Valley Hospital (Mount Vernon)
• Swedish/Ballard
• Swedish/Edmonds
• Swedish/Issaquah
• Swedish/Mill Creek
• Swedish/Redmond
• Walla Walla General Hospital (Walla Walla)
• Whidbey General Hospital (Coupeville)
• Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital (Yakima)

These hospitals and emergency departments have made commitments to their communities to improve access to stroke care by becoming partners in the Swedish Acute TeleStroke Network. Each of them has TeleStroke technology that links their emergency department physicians and nurses directly with the Swedish Acute Stroke Telemedicine Team at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle.

Learn about Jefferson Healthcare’s commitment to stroke care

The answer to physician shortages

The Swedish Acute Stroke Telemedicine Program is an answer to nationwide physician shortages. The shortages mean that many areas do not have a sufficient number of subspecialists, such as neurologists, to support the needs of the people who live there. Subspecialists tend to work at large, urban medical centers where they are able to maintain their level of expertise by seeing a lot of patients. Community hospitals cannot support full-time neurologists, and emergency rooms and intensive care units don’t see many stroke patients.

Become part of the Swedish Acute TeleStroke Network

Swedish invites hospitals and emergency departments from throughout Washington to consider becoming part of the Swedish Acute TeleStroke Network. For more information about this opportunity call 206-320-3112 or contact Tammy Cress for more information.