Banner Health Completes Successful Pilot of Teleneurohospitalist Program  

To overcome the rising national shortage of neurologists, North Colorado  Medical Center (NCMC) in Greeley recently piloted an increasingly popular solution, a new teleneurohospitalist program. Since its implementation in June 2023, hospitalized patients with neurology concerns such as  Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and other disorders are seen daily by a neurologist via telehealth, with the support of specialized staff in the hospital. Jeffrey Tyer, DO, a hospitalist and medical director of the teleneurohospitalist program, helped pilot this offering at NCMC.  

“Through the teleneurohospitalist program, our patients experience high-level, high-quality care, and the high continuity of care is one of the program’s best features,” Dr. Tyer said. “Patients get tired of having to tell their story again and again to new rounding doctors each day. However, with the teleneurohospitalist program, patients  see the same neurologist daily.” 

Banner Health is partnering with Blue Sky Telehealth and HCA HealthONE Swedish (Swedish), the premier neurology hospital in the state, to provide access to neurologists. Previously, patients needing high-level neurology care had to be flown to Swedish in Denver. The new teleneurohospitalist program enables patients with less serious conditions to avoid relocation for care and receive treatment at NCMC. In the case of an acute emergency like a stroke, hospitalists at NCMC can get a neurologist on camera within five minutes to determine if acute life-saving interventions are needed. 

As for what occurs with providers in the room at NCMC, several steps are involved in providing this highly collaborative care. 

“Hospitalists, including myself, are medical doctors that work in a hospital and generally have a full patient load,”  Dr. Tyer said. “We are experts at coordinating care for our patients, but we aren’t specialists. So, when we have patients who need to see a neurologist, we can consult with the neurologist over the phone, asking for suggestions and direction. Then, there is a dedicated rounding time, when a highly-trained nurse administrator rounds to all the patients that need to see the neurologist. The nurse visits each patient with a high-tech camera  and neurology tools to perform an in-person examination and provide support while the patient speaks with the  neurologist via telehealth.” 

Following the rounds, the neurologist calls the hospitalist to report their findings, a service Dr. Tyer described as  “way above and beyond.” Banner has been surveying patients who have received care through the teleneurohospitalist program. From over 1,500 surveys, 99.8% of patients reported being extremely satisfied with their care. The program is exceeding expectations because of the high-quality technology and top-notch clinicians. 

For more information on neurological programs and care at Banner, visit  

https://www.bannerhealth.com/services/neurology/programs-care.