His ongoing efforts are identifying key learnings that can not only directly benefit patients in N.C., but throughout the U.S. as well.
Because getting immediate care for stroke patients is of the utmost importance in order to help prevent brain cells from dying, the medical community has a phrase when it comes to strokes: “time is brain.”
One study in 2011 found that while 70 percent of Americans in urban areas were within a 30 minute drive of a certified stroke center, that was true for just 26% of people in rural locations.
“Stroke is a time-sensitive condition,” says Dr. Patel. “But you have these large regions of the state, and the country, that don’t have immediate access to the best treatment options.”
To learn more about how Dr. Patel’s work is identifying ways to address real world challenges associated with rapid stroke care in rural locations, we invite you to read a story recently published on the NC TraACS website: bit.ly/4f4569s