Generous Gift Helps Stroke Patients
The Elliott Family Foundations, a philanthropic entity of Elliott Homes, donated $500,000 to Mercy Foundation for the new telemedicine program at Mercy Neurological Institute
Folsom, CA, April 24, 2009 – Stroke patients who arrive at Mercy Hospital of Folsom’s emergency department now have immediate access to a Mercy Neurological Institute stroke specialist, with the help of a new telemedicine robot. Mercy Hospital of Folsom is the first hospital in the Sacramento region to use the InTouch Health RP-7 wireless telemedicine robot.
The robot connects stroke patients to neurologists from the Mercy Neurological Institute at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento and Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael. Both hospitals are nationally certified as primary stroke centers, giving patients the most advanced stroke care available. Specialists at these hospital sites control the wireless, mobile, remote presence robot at Mercy Hospital of Folsom which enables specialists to examine and talk directly to patients, consult with on-site physicians, assist and help direct therapy and interact directly with the family.
The Elliot family knows much about improving lives in the community and preparing our region for the future, through both business and philanthropy. The Elliott Family Foundations, a philanthropic entity of Elliott Homes, gave a generous gift of $500,000 to Mercy Foundation for the Mercy Stroke Center Network, which includes the robot at Mercy Hospital of Folsom, robots at Mercy General Hospital and Mercy San Juan Medical Center and a fourth robot at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. The foundations are committed to reducing the incidence of stroke and improving treatment options for this life-threatening and disabling disease. “The Margaret F. Elliott Foundation and Elliott Homes are dedicated to supporting stroke centers to help victims of stroke get the immediate help they need in their own communities, so patients can be close to their families,” said Roxanne Elliott, Director of the Margaret F. Elliott Foundation.
“Due to the philanthropic generosity of the Elliott family, this robot enables us to continue giving quality of care, close to home,” said Don Hudson, president of Mercy Hospital of Folsom. “We are thrilled to have this state-of-the-art technology available to our patients.” Contributions to Mercy Foundation directly support Mercy’s mission to provide excellent, compassion care for patients and those in need.
Stroke – the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and the leading cause of disability in adults – is a common and disabling disease. Most strokes occur when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked or bursts. The results can be as serious as brain damage or death. Mercy Folsom’s remote presence robot will connect highly-trained specialists to stroke patients in the emergency room within minutes.
The RP-7, manufactured by InTouch Health, allows physicians to be in two places at once. The 5-foot-tall cylinder-shaped robot has a flat-screen computer monitor as a face on which patients, family and staff can see the physician’s face in real time. A zoom-lens camera and microphone on top of the screen enables physicians to see and hear patients during examinations and read patient charts and test results. The physician operates the robot from an off-site control station equipped with a laptop, video camera, microphone, joystick and specialized software.
The presence of Mercy’s new robot signifies the advancements Mercy is making in its neurological services and reinforces Folsom’s commitment to its only hospital. By developing its stroke network, Mercy is connecting stroke specialists to patients at other hospitals. The network’s goal is to connect to rural hospitals that could benefit from Mercy’s stroke expertise.
“When a stroke happens, time is critical and patients need treatment as quickly as possible,” said M. Asim Mahmood, MD, Mercy’s regional medical director of neurovascular and neurology. “The telemedicine program allows Mercy stroke specialists to evaluate a patient in a matter of minutes and that access to care could be life-saving.”
