When a patient arrives at the emergency department experiencing stroke symptoms or a mental health crisis, every minute matters. But as demand for specialty care continues to grow, hospitals across the country face increasing challenges connecting patients with neurologists and behavioral health specialists when they are needed most.
To help close that gap, Ascension has built a connected virtual care infrastructure that brings neurologists and behavioral health specialists directly to bedside care teams, regardless of location. By combining innovative technology with standardized clinical workflows, these programs give patients faster access to specialty expertise while helping clinicians make critical treatment decisions sooner.
"Digital innovation is transforming how we connect patients to specialty expertise, removing barriers so they can receive high-quality care when it matters most," said Krisda Chaiyachati, MD, MPH, MSHP, FACP, Associate Vice President of Clinical Transformation at Ascension. "By connecting bedside care teams with remote specialists in real time, we're enabling faster diagnoses, more timely interventions, and helping ensure patients receive the right care without unnecessary delays."
Faster stroke evaluations when minutes matter
For stroke patients, rapid assessment can mean the difference between recovery and permanent disability. Yet access to neurologists can be limited, particularly in rural communities and in emergency department settings.
Ascension’s teleneurology program connects emergency department teams with neurologists virtually, giving patients timely access to specialty expertise, regardless of location.
The results have been significant. Ascension completed more than 9,500 teleneurology encounters in fiscal year 2025, with a median response time of less than 15 minutes from consultation request to neurologist evaluation.
Behind the scenes, Ascension built the program to operate across multiple states, hospitals, and electronic health record systems. By leveraging a unified imaging platform, AI-assisted imaging analysis, and standardized workflows, neurologists can quickly access the information they need to evaluate patients and support bedside care in real time.
"By accelerating access to neurological expertise, we're enabling clinicians to make faster treatment decisions during one of the most time-sensitive moments in a patient's life," said Johanna Morton, MD, MS, FAAN, National Medical Director of Teleneurology at Ascension. "We've built a model that combines innovative technology with standardized clinical processes, helping us deliver timely, high-quality neurological care while continuing to evolve the program to better support our clinicians and patients."
Following successful implementation across pilot markets, teleneurology is now expanding across Ascension's footprint, with eight of Ascension's nine markets adopting this model. As the program continues to grow, future enhancements will focus on scaling the teleneurology infrastructure to support patients beyond the initial virtual examination, creating a more connected and continuous care experience.
Expanding access to behavioral health specialists
Patients experiencing a mental health crisis often face long waits before being evaluated by a behavioral specialist, extending costly emergency department stays and delaying critical treatment decisions.
Ascension’s telepsychiatry program helps address this challenge by providing 24/7 access to psychiatric clinicians across emergency departments and medical floors. The program supported more than 13,000 patient encounters last year and is projected to exceed that this year.
“Access to timely psychiatric care remains one of the greatest challenges facing patients experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Through telepsychiatry, we’re able to bring psychiatric expertise directly to our patients and care teams, reducing delays in evaluation and treatment while supporting clinicians as they care for patients in some of their most vulnerable moments," said Christina Fixari, LCSW, MBA, Senior Director of Behavioral Health at Ascension. “As we continue to expand this program, our focus is on creating a more connected continuum of behavioral health care that extends beyond the initial consultation and improves access throughout a patient's recovery journey.”
Ongoing evolution of the telepsychiatry model will prioritize the launch of urgent outpatient psychiatric services, designed to support patients until community-based care can be established. Additional focus areas include the implementation of virtual rounding within inpatient units and the provision of specialized psychiatric consultations during hospital stays.
By pairing innovative technology with robust clinical governance, these initiatives will further bridge gaps in specialty access, empower our bedside clinicians, and ensure a more connected and responsive continuum of behavioral health care.
Building the future of specialty care
As health systems across the country seek new ways to meet growing demand for specialty services, Ascension continues to invest in the digital infrastructure needed to deliver connected specialty care at scale. Integrated technology, clinical expertise, and standardized workflows create a more seamless care model that supports clinicians across markets while keeping specialized care connected within the health system.
By bringing specialty expertise directly to the bedside, regardless of geography, Ascension is building the digital infrastructure for a more connected future of specialty care — one that expands access, strengthens clinical collaboration, and improves outcomes for patients.
