Cookeville Regional Medical Center (CRMC) announced today a new teleneurology agreement with Ascension Saint Thomas to provide advanced stroke and neurologic care, giving patients 24/7 access to board-certified neurologists.
The alliance further strengthens CRMC’s ability to deliver advanced brain and spine care close to home, ensuring patients in the Upper Cumberland region receive rapid, expert neurologic evaluation and treatment when neurologic emergencies occur.
“Our focus is always the patient and keeping them in our community while delivering the highest level of care. Partnerships help us do that,” said Buffy Key, CEO at CRMC. “This collaboration with Ascension Saint Thomas allows us to enhance our existing stroke program with immediate access to specialized neurologic expertise, supporting faster diagnosis and treatment decisions, without the need for patients to travel.”
Through secure, real-time telehealth technology, Ascension Saint Thomas provides neuro expertise around the clock to evaluate patients presenting with stroke symptoms and other urgent neurologic conditions. The specialists collaborate with the onsite care team to guide treatment decisions and determine whether advanced interventions or transfer to a higher level of care are necessary.
By enabling faster evaluations and timely treatment, the teleneurology service can be lifesaving and often reduces the need for patient transfers, allowing more patients to receive high-quality care close to home.
“Cookeville Regional Medical Center is a trusted provider of stroke care for this region,” said Neal Kelley, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Upper Cumberland Regional Hospitals. “We are proud to support CRMC’s mission by extending our neurologic support to help patients receive high-quality care as quickly and safely as possible.”
