It was a January evening in San Diego. Charles Hamori, MD, a primary care physician with Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, was enjoying his usual game of tennis when he noticed his gameplay suddenly became clumsy.
“I thought I might have tweaked my arm, so my first thought was, ‘I’ll just go home and rest.’ But just as I got to my car, I realized, ‘Wait a second — this is a stroke,’” said Dr. Hamori.
He wasted no time rushing to a nearby Kaiser Permanente emergency department.
Technology saves precious time
Dr. Hamori’s decision to seek immediate medical attention could have saved his life and well-being. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, strokes caused 1 in 6 deaths in the United States in 2022 and often cause long-term disability.
Fortunately, Kaiser Permanente’s telestroke program offers fast, safe, and effective stroke treatment. When a stroke patient arrives at a Kaiser Permanente emergency department, their care team notifies a teleneurologist. The stroke specialist assesses the patient via video and orders a medication that dissolves the blood clot that is causing the stroke.
William Neil, MD, a Kaiser Permanente neurologist who practices at Kaiser Permanente Vandever Medical Offices, says that this technology played an important role in Dr. Hamori’s full recovery.
“Just a short delay can destroy millions of brain cells permanently. Nearly 2 million of these brain cells are lost every minute during a stroke. With this technology, I can quickly assess patients who are in another room or another building. Now we don’t have to waste any time in getting stroke patients the treatment they need,” said Dr. Neil.
Save a life — know the signs
As a physician, Dr. Hamori recognized the symptoms he was experiencing. Because minutes matter during a stroke, it’s important for everyone to know the signs of a stroke. Dr. Neil recommends memorizing the acronym BE FAST.
