Beebe expands partnership with Jefferson Neuroscience Network

Since 2016, Beebe Healthcare has been a member of the Thomas Jefferson Neuroscience Network. Recently, it was announced that the partnership would be expanded to include a robotic teleconferencing unit in Beebe’s Emergency Department.

The Jefferson Expert Teleconsulting unit, aka JET, is the region’s first university-based, high-tech mobile robot system for acute stroke.

When someone comes into Beebe’s Emergency Department with a suspected stroke, the emergency teams immediately run tests and get a medical history on the patient. As soon as a stroke is indicated, the JET protocol is started. The JET protocol will also be used for patients who have a stroke while already admitted to the hospital.

The stroke robot provides Jefferson Network hospitals with 24/7 access to vascular neurologists and neurosurgeons for emergency consultation services. The goal is to complement the care provided by community neurologists and/or emergency physicians to patients presenting stroke symptoms.

The process starts with a phone call from Beebe’s emergency team to the Jefferson Neuroscience Network to reach the on-call stroke neurologist, who connects with the Beebe team via a mobile robotic system in the emergency room. This system allows the neurologist to speak directly to the team, the patient, and family members via secure videoconference technology in order to gather information and conduct a neurologic examination on the patient. The Jefferson neurologist can also review test results and medical history. Then, the Beebe and Jefferson medical teams are able to make decisions about the best next steps for the patient, including transport to Jefferson in Philadelphia if necessary.

“This system allows us to be more efficient when treating stroke patients,” said Nick Perchiniak, MD, of Sussex Emergency Associates, the team providing care in Beebe’s Emergency Department. “When it comes to stroke, time is brain, so it is very important to be able to diagnose and treat a stroke patient quickly. The Jefferson robot allows us to have quick access to their neurology experts within minutes of a patient’s arrival.”

Perchiniak added, “This is going to be especially helpful at our new South Coastal Health Campus Emergency Department. We will have the mobile robot there as well so that if a patient comes in with a possible stroke, we can activate a stroke consultation with Jefferson quickly and get the patient the help they need.”

From South Coastal, patients could be taken by helicopter to Jefferson or to Beebe’s Margaret H. Rollins Lewes Campus. From Lewes, the patient could also be transferred to Jefferson.

Beebe’s Emergency Department also uses similar technology or telemedicine systems for psychiatric or behavioral health patients to connect with specialists in the region, and for children, the Emergency Department is able to teleconference with pediatric specialists at Nemours.

“This takes our relationship with Jefferson to a new level,” said Lynn Toth, DNP, MSN, NP-C, RN, cardiovascular medical specialist at Beebe. “It will be a great resource for both our medical teams and the community. The program gives us nearly immediate access to renowned stroke experts, which can only improve the way we care for our community.”