CHMC CEO discusses Upstate University Hospital telemedicine partnership

OGDENSBURG — Nate Howell remembers when Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center (CHMC) in Ogdensburg (St. Lawrence County) first became involved in the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization (FDRHPO).

“We got in at a time when they’re really expanding telehealth,” says Howell, CEO of CHMC.

The FDRHPO created the bandwidth and connected several North County health-care facilities, he said.

Howell also recalled CHMC was able to secure the proper equipment to use a telehealth service if it ever became necessary, but, for the most part, the equipment just “sat dormant” for a few years.

Noting how CHMC is a small hospital in a rural part of Northern New York, Howell says he figured his organization should seek out a partner for expertise in a given area, such as stroke care.

“You worry about your ability as a facility to provide care in a timely enough fashion to save the person … and that’s where telehealth really can help bridge that gap,” says Howell.

Claxton-Hepburn is affiliated with River Hospital in Alexandria Bay in Jefferson County. River Hospital has had discussions with Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, and through its affiliation with the Alex Bay health-care provider, CHMC started its own discussions with Upstate on telehealth, or telemedicine, services.

Howell spoke with HealthCare Provider on June 22 while traveling in St. Lawrence County.

CHMC has now established a partnership with Upstate University Hospital for telemedicine services in the treatment of stroke symptoms

CHMC’s emergency department is using a telemedicine program to connect its physicians with neurologists at Upstate’s “comprehensive stroke center,” Upstate said in a news release issued June 16.

When asked if the partnership involves a fee or a financial transaction, Howell replied that he wasn’t aware of any payments to Upstate for the service.

“It’s really an academic relationship,” he added.

Upstate’s role
Upstate University Hospital in early 2015 earned certification as a “comprehensive stroke center” from Milford, Ohio–based DNV GL Healthcare Inc., a hospital-accreditation organization. The hospital is also recognized as a primary stroke center as designated by the New York State Department of Health.

“Our telemedicine network allows the North Country access to expert stroke care regardless of geography,” Jennifer Schleier, RN and program manager of Upstate’s Stroke Center, said in the news release. “We have come to think of this program as stroke care without borders. It is our mission to close the gap between expert medical care and location of the patient, increase access to stroke treatments in rural communities, and to provide educational opportunities to any of our referring hospitals regarding stroke care.”

When a patient arrives at CHMC’s emergency department with what the health-care team has determined are symptoms consistent with stroke, Claxton-Hepburn can consult with an Upstate neurologist.

“Distance should never be a barrier to getting the best stroke care for patients,” Dr. Gene Latorre, Upstate neurologist, said in the Upstate news release. “Claxton-Hepburn’s emergency department providers will be encouraged and supported to keep uncomplicated patients in Ogdensburg. Should a patient need to be transported, consultation with the Upstate comprehensive stroke center specialist will be provided.”

Within minutes, the neurologist will be able to view the X-ray computed tomography (CT) scan, examine the patient, and talk with the patient, his or her family, and physician about possible treatment.

The addition of Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center brings to three the number of area hospitals that are partnering with Upstate University Hospital on stroke care.

“Through the use of telemedicine, our collaboration on stroke care with Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg, River Hospital in Alexandria Bay and Carthage Area Hospital in Carthage broadens the reach of our formally designated comprehensive stroke center and enables us to partner with physicians across the state to enhance medical care for patients many miles from Upstate,” Dr. John McCabe, CEO of Upstate University Hospital, said. “We are grateful for these partnerships and for the work of the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization [FDRHPO] in helping to deploy the equipment necessary to make these connections possible.”

Upstate has teamed up with FDRHPO, which deployed the telemedicine equipment to several North Country hospitals in an effort to expand the telemedicine network.

“Our telemedicine network allows the North Country access to expert stroke care regardless of geography,” said Schleier. 

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com