Central Texas Medical Center and Specialists On Call Deliver Neurologists Directly to Stroke Patients

SAN MARCOS, Texas & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Central Texas Medical Center (CTMC), a 178-bed community hospital serving Hays County, and Specialists On Call, Inc. (SOC), the nation's leading provider of clinical telemedicine, announced today a partnership that guarantees local stroke patients immediate access to neurologists via telemedicine. This agreement brings board certified, fellowship-trained neurologists directly to patients' bedside any time of day or night.

“For close to 90 years we have been providing our community with excellent health care, and teleneurology is an innovative extension of our clinical capabilities,” Sam Huenergardt, CEO of Central Texas Medical Center, said. “Now patients suffering a stroke or any other neurologic emergency are guaranteed to see a neurologist within minutes of entering our emergency room. We're proud to offer teleneurology in San Marcos and expect it will allow us to meet our medical goals in new and exciting ways.”

Specialists On Call provides stroke services to more than 180 hospitals in 17 states and has conducted more than 45,000 emergency neurology consultations via telemedicine. Their reliability and performance has earned them both a leadership position within the telemedicine industry as well as the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval.

“We're thrilled to have Central Texas Medical Center among our hospital partners in Texas,” said Dr. Joe Peterson, CEO of Specialists On Call. “We love working with forward-thinking hospitals that view telemedicine as an innovative solution to the growing specialty physician shortage. We look forward to serving CTMC and helping them deliver the best neurologic care to their patients 24/7/365.”

About Central Texas Medical Center

Central Texas Medical Center originated in 1923 as Hays County Soldiers, Sailors and Marines Memorial Hospital and was restructured in 1960. The present facility was opened at its current Wonder World Drive location in 1983. The CTMC staff of more than 700 employees works with more than 220 active and consulting physicians to provide quality services to patients and their families. In addition, over 200 community members and interns from area educational institutions volunteer their services to the hospital. In 2010 and again in 2011, CTMC was named The Best Hospital in Hays County. In addition, CTMC added a certified Chest Pain Center to its ER capabilities in 2011.

CTMC is a member of the Adventist Health System (AHS), a not-for-profit healthcare organization that emphasizes Christ at the center of care. Founded in 1973, AHS has quickly grown to become the largest not-for-profit Protestant healthcare provider in the nation. Today, AHS supports 43 hospitals and employs 55,000 individuals. AHS hospitals are comprised of 7,700 licensed beds, providing care for 4 million patients each year in inpatient, outpatient and emergency room visits.

For more information please visit www.ctmc.org

Specialists On Call

Specialists On Call, Inc. (SOC), is a Joint Commission-accredited organization that is changing emergency medicine. As the leading provider of emergency telemedicine consultations, SOC gives hospitals vital 24/7/365 access to more than 55 board certified, fellowship trained academic specialists, each with a minimum of 10 years experience. With operations on both coasts, SOC provides more than 1,500 emergency consultations per month for hospitals nationwide and hospital systems such as Vanguard Health Systems, HCA, Inc. and Tenet Healthcare Corporation.

For more information please visit www.specialistsoncall.com