PERSPECTIVE

Treating Neurological Emergencies Effectively Requires New Models of Care

Yafa Minazad , DO, MMM

Vice President of Acute Neurology

Arbi Ohanian , MD

Vice President of Acute Neurology

Published June 05, 2018

The practice of neurology is going through a major change nationally. Demand for neurologists is increasing as the U.S. population ages and incidence of stroke (the leading cause of disability) and diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s is rising.

Historically, neurology has been an outpatient-based practice. The majority of neurologists deal with issues such as dementia, Parkinson's, and medication disbursement outside the hospital.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a strong in-hospital need for neurology care.

It only means there's a large, growing gap between supply and demand in terms of providing urgent inpatient services like stroke management.

Due to this gap, hospitals often lack the resources and expertise needed to care effectively for stroke patients. This can potentially lead to poorer clinical outcomes for patients and loss of revenue for the hospital.

Comprehensive Neurology Care for Hospitals

Vituity Acute Neurology is bridging the demand gap and providing comprehensive care that meets the needs of each patient. This empowers client hospitals to better serve their communities and boost their market shares.

Specific offerings include but are not limited to:

Neurodiagnostic services (inpatient and outpatient)
Intraoperative Monitoring (IOM) services setup
Interpretation of EEG studies
Implementation and supervision
Customized support teams
Program development

Vituity’s panel of board-certified neurologists uses innovative approaches such as telemedicine to improve cost efficiency and deliver best-practice patient care.

Vituity’s neurology practice is led by Arbi Ohanian, MD, who developed several Primary and Comprehensive Stroke Centers in California, and Yafa Minazad, DO, who has served in stroke management teams for over a decade.

Minazad and Ohanian cofounded SAGE Neurohospitalist Management Group, which became renowned among hospitals for its innovative approach to care. Today, both physicians serve as operational vice presidents for Vituity's Acute Neurology program.

Customized Neurology Solutions

Vituity's Acute Neurology team provides customized solutions that allow hospitals to greatly enhance their care.

All partnerships start with consulting and education. Vituity develops customized solutions for every hospital and also provides consulting to help hospitals achieve Primary or Comprehensive Stroke Center certification.

Hospitals are supported by Vituity practice management experts, who help with program development, implementation, and operational enhancement. This improves the quality and experience of neurology care while simultaneously boosting provider satisfaction and reducing program costs.

A Comprehensive Approach

Vituity is the only organization of its kind to provide hospitals with a full range of acute neurology services, including teleneurology/telestroke, neurohospitalist, and specialty services accredited by the Joint Commission.

Others in the industry offer fragmented support for neurological care at the acute level, due to lack of investment across all subspecialties.

"Acute neurological conditions such as stroke are difficult and costly to treat," said Minazad. "We’re creating a tightly coordinated and streamlined effort that will lead to better clinical and financial outcomes for patients and the hospital."

This comprehensive approach helps many types of patients. But it is most important in the case of stroke, because it's such an incredibly acute condition. Vituity's hospital-based neurology services greatly improve the timeliness and clinical quality of stroke care. And patients and families appreciate having help so close.

Vituity is uniquely qualified to introduce tightly coordinated care for patients requiring acute neurology services. As a multispecialty group, Vituity understands the power of clinical integration and teamwork. Vituity’s neurologists work with partners in the emergency department (ED), the ICU, and across the hospital to promote better outcomes and a more satisfying patient experience.

Meeting Patient Needs

Telemedicine allows Vituity to provide comprehensive neurology care to patients in even the tiniest, most remote community hospitals.

"Telemedicine is the most up-and-coming piece of technology that's going to help expand healthcare everywhere," Ohanian said. "Marrying neurohospitalist and telemedicine work is one of the best ways to provide services to underserved populations."

Telemedicine can assist patients with a wide range of neurologic conditions, but stroke is the most time sensitive. During the acute phase of a stroke, 2 million brains cells die every minute. There's no time for a neurologist to drive to the ED — or even to rush to the ED from the far side of the hospital.

By contrast, telemedicine provides an expert evaluation almost immediately. Through the secure video conferencing platform, the neurologist can conduct an exam, read imaging studies, and give recommendations to the ED team.

Telemedicine can provide stroke coverage to remote hospitals where a patient couldn't dream of seeing a neurologist for days. And in addition to expanding access, the technology can also significantly improve outcomes.

Many stroke patients benefit from advanced treatments like tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Prompt administration of these powerful drugs can make a big difference in the patient's outcome.

The Vituity Difference

In addition to providing customized stroke care solutions, Vituity helps hospitals leverage advanced technologies, drive improvement through data, create new care team models, and much more.

Our flexible solutions go beyond teleneurology and neurohospitalist services to provide comprehensive and cost-effective neurology care.

To learn more, visit our Neurology page.

Partnering to improve patient lives

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