GRMC sees one stroke patient per day, expands 24/7 services with telestroke

According to the CDC, stroke is the leading cause of longterm disability.  Every 40 seconds, someone is the us has a stroke and someone dies of stroke about every 3 minutes. In Guam, health experts with Guam Regional Medical City say 37 patients suffered from a stroke just last month.

GRMC is committed to saving lives from this medical emergency, recently extending their 24/7 services through their newly launched telestroke services.

There were 37 code strokes last month alone, an increase of an average of 24 per month last year, according to GRMC neurologist Dr. Justin Hale, "These are just the ones we are catching early within a 24 hour window– what we call a code stroke."

Meanwhile, GRMC neurosurgeon Dr. Scott Dulebohn admits there’s likely even more with an estimated 500 stroke patients per year.  He attributes the high number to meth abuse which leads to an increased risk of strokes, saying, "We have a lot more hemorrhagic strokes here than in the states in general because of meth. The drug problem is really something we need to treat more aggressively."

In their commitment to save lives, GRMC recently launched their telestroke services.  Patients now have 24/7 access to board certified neurologists who are just a videocall away, like Dr. Hale, and nurse Elisabeth Collins. 

"Stroke is definitely very prevalent both in Guam and the mainland," she explained. "That’s something we’re looking to improve. As GRMC became an advanced primary stroke center, a lot of the ambulances are brought directly to GRMC if it's suspected the patient is having a stroke."

They work remotely with physicians on the ground like Dr. Dulebohn.  "We’re seeing more strokes here than we did in Johnson City," he said.

He used to lead the neurology program at a Level 1 trauma center in Johnson City, Tennessee.  Since he transferred to GRMC last April, he’s seen that life expectancy is lower in Guam than in the states.

"And one of those reasons why is because people are dying from stroke. Which is why it's important to treat them promptly and if people have a terrible headache, they need to come to the hospital," he shared.

He adds time is of the essence when treating this medical emergency as it's the leading cause of long-term disability.  "We’re trying to get patients taken care of as quickly as possible. Brain is time and time is brain," he said.