Dorminy Medical Center Joins Tele-stroke Network with Baptist Health of Jacksonville
September 28, 2022
FITZGERALD--Dorminy Medical Center (DMC) has launched Tele-stroke services to provide timely assessment of stroke patients and improve the quality of care to its patients through a collaboration with Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida.
Tele-stroke will virtually connect DMC’s physicians and health care professionals to the 24/7 expertise at Baptist Health's comprehensive stroke center, and will help provide lifesaving care to patients within minutes after they arrive at DMC. DMC is the newest member of the Tele-stroke Network, which is utilized by 14 other sites within a 160-mile radius of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville.
“This is a great development for Fitzgerald and surrounding communities as it brings reliable 24/7 vascular neurology expertise to the bedside for the evaluation and treatment of stroke,” said Paige Wynn, CEO, DMC. “Having this level of expertise available to our team and integrated into our clinical decision-making is a tremendous benefit to our patients, and we are incredibly excited to offer this service to our community.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stroke is the No. 1 cause of long-term disability and the No.5 cause of death in the U.S., and more than 795,000 people in the country suffer a stroke each year. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. If that happens, brain cells start to die within minutes due to oxygen deprivation. Therefore, early detection and immediate treatment are critical to minimize brain damage and increase the chances of survival and recovery.
“We are pleased to welcome Dorminy Medical Center to the Tele-stroke network,” said Mohamed Chmayssani, MD, Neuro-Intensivist with Lyerly Neurosurgery at Baptist Health and Medical Director of the Tele-stroke Program. “Time is brain when it comes to stroke recovery, and the faster you receive emergency care, the more options there are for treatment.”
“The Tele-stroke Network shortens the gap between a specialist consult and the patient, and enhances care for the whole region,” added Ricardo Hanel, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon, and co-medical director, Baptist Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center.
Should a DMC patient require further intervention, the Tele-stroke Network enables fast access and transfer to the experts at the comprehensive stroke center at Baptist Jacksonville.
About Dorminy Medical Center
Dorminy Medical Center is a licensed 75-bed acute care facility offering a comprehensive range of medical services to Ben Hill and surrounding counties. The hospital promotes healthier and happier lives by emphasizing core values such as integrity, commitment, quality, teamwork, and a patient-centered perspective.
About Baptist Health Jacksonville
Baptist Health is a faith-based, mission-driven system in Northeast Florida comprised of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville; Baptist Medical Center Beaches; Baptist Medical Center Nassau; Baptist Medical Center South and Wolfson Children’s Hospital – the region’s only children’s hospital. All Baptist Health hospitals have achieved Magnet™ status for excellence in patient care. Baptist Health is part of Coastal Community Health, a highly integrated regional hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. Baptist Health has the area’s only dedicated heart hospital; orthopedic institute; women’s services; neurological institute, including comprehensive neurosurgical services, a comprehensive stroke center and two primary stroke centers; a Bariatric Center of Excellence; a full range of psychology and psychiatry services; urgent care services; primary and specialty care physicians’ offices throughout Northeast Florida; and Baptist Home Health Care by BAYADA. The Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center is a regional destination for multidisciplinary cancer care, which is clinically integrated with the MD Anderson Cancer Center, the internationally renowned cancer treatment and research institution in Houston. For more details, visit baptistjax.com.
