Telestroke Now Available in St. Charles County

Within minutes telestroke technology brings leading stroke specialists from Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University Physicians right to the bedside of patients at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital (BJSPH) and Progress West Hospital (PWH) – 24/7.

Telestroke works through a remote camera at a patient’s bedside providing the BJSPH and PWH emergency department stroke teams immediate contact to discuss treatment options with stroke specialists. This technology provides our specialists access to a patient’s test results and the ability to speak to a patient and their family—as if they are there in person. This advancement allows most patients to remain in St. Charles County throughout care – and close to home and family.

Recent evidence shows that having the telestroke technology provides patients:

• higher rates of receiving potentially lifesaving therapies
• access to a higher level of stroke care
• improved outcomes in long-term stroke recovery

“The number one thing for people to remember is if you're experiencing stroke-like symptoms to call 9-1-1 because there is certain information we need to start evaluating candidacy for treatment,” said Meagan Goddard, BSN, RN, stroke coordinator at BJSPH. “Our EMS partners through the St. Charles County Ambulance District (SCCAD) are able to start gathering that information before they even get to the hospital. As soon as they roll through our doors, we're ready to go.”

Telestroke is not available at every hospital, and BJSPH and PWH, members of BJC HealthCare, are excited to now provide this advancement in St. Charles County. This technology will help save precious time in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke.

Because treating stroke quickly is critically important to a patient’s recovery, BJSPH and PWH maintain some of the fastest response times in the region – 45 minutes or less – from the time a patient arrives in the emergency department to treatment. Coming to BJSPH and PWH could reduce transportation time and the start of lifesaving care. Our emergency department works closely with EMS to start assessing and guiding care even before a patient arrives.

BJSPH and PWH are both accredited as Primary Stroke Centers by the Joint Commission. This accreditation requires that hospitals maintain a set of evidence-based quality guidelines, which ensures that patients receive the most up-to-date stroke care available. Additionally, both hospitals are designated as Level II Stroke Centers by the state of Missouri.

In fall 2021, BJSPH will offer thrombectomy services to treat stroke patients. With the availability of both telestroke and thrombectomy, BJSPH will have the most comprehensive stroke care in St. Charles County.