OU's telestroke service helps woman in rural Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Doctors at OU Health say every year in Oklahoma almost 2,000 Oklahomans die from a stroke or complications related to a stroke.

A McAlester woman had a health scare earlier this year and said the reason she got treatment so fast was thanks to OU Health's telestroke program.

"If it hadn't been for that telehealth part, you know, I really don't know...for sure that I would have been treated at all, you know, I mean, I would have been treated, but it would have maybe taken a whole lot longer," said Veronica Kingsborough, who used OU's telestroke service.

The telestroke program at OU Health was created two years ago and the doctors at OU are calling it a game changer for stroke management.

"By utilizing this telestroke service, even in rural hospitals without an onsite neurologist can offer the same lifesaving care available in larger urban stroke centers," said Dr. Jorge Ortiz-Garcia, a neurologist at OU Health.

Veronica Kingsborough first started having signs of a stroke in January, and while she doesn't remember much, she said her symptoms were out of the blue.

"Ran into the wall and then I kind of spun and I really don't remember how I was or where I was," said Kingsborough.

After a 911 call and a trip to the local hospital, Kingsborough's doctors called the stroke alert team at OU Health, where they evaluated her through a screen in real time.

"We decide that she needed an emergency scan," said Dr. Ortiz-Garcia.

Doctor Ortiz-Garcia said the scan showed a clot in her brain, and she was transferred to OU Health.

"I couldn't speak, I was like eh eh eh. It was really a humbling experience," said Kingsborough.

Once at OU Health, Kingsborough got surgery quickly and four days later, went home.

She said she's doing a lot better and has a few more months of rehab left.

"I've still got some speech problems, which I expected, just have to live with, I still have some right-sided numbness, in my hands and my feet," said Kingborough.

As for the telestroke program at OU Health, Dr. Ortiz-Garcia said they currently work with five rural hospitals in the state but hope to grow in the future.

"Our plan is to expand to 18 hospitals in the state of Oklahoma," said Dr. Ortiz-Garcia.

Doctor Ortiz-Garcia wants to remind people about the "BE FAST" acronym to watch for stroke symptoms and call 911 to get help, fast.

• B - Balance issues
• E - Eyesight changes
• F - Face drooping
• A - Arm weakness
• S - Speech difficulty
• T - Time to call 911

For more information about stroke services at OU Health, click here.