Brain Saving Technologies Addresses the Timely Treatment of Stroke with Neuro-TeleMD Consortiums.

NEWTON, Mass. -- New Company Counters the Critical Shortage of On-Call Specialists by Arranging for Advanced Telemedicine and High-Quality Consultation Services

Brain Saving Technologies (BST) launched today to address the need for the rapid, effective treatment of stroke patients, and the shortage of neuro critical care experts. Founded and led by physicians, BST is a health services management company, contractually affiliated with professional corporations and hospitals. BST is committed to improving the care of stroke patients by arranging for the provision of advanced telemedicine and the highest-quality consultation services connecting physicians with neuro critical care experts, 24/7.

"The U.S. is facing a shortage of on-call specialists," stated Dr. Colin T. McDonald, founder, chief executive officer and president of BST. "This shortage delays response times and reduces the quality of care in the nation's hospitals. For stroke patients, a delay in treatment can be profound because the key to a full recovery starts the moment a person exhibits symptoms. Hospitals want to provide high-quality and prompt care to stroke victims, but many community hospitals do not have physicians who are able to interpret CT scans and provide treatment recommendations 24 hours a day. That's where BST and its affiliates can help."

BST establishes regional neuro critical care centers, known as Neuro-TeleMD Consortiums, which engage affiliates to furnish telemedicine services, including patient assessment, diagnosis and treatment recommendations on a 24/7 basis. Comprised of a primary sponsoring hospital, where the Neuro Critical Care Center is located, member hospitals located within the surrounding communities and affiliated professional corporations, BST connects neuro critical care experts to emergency rooms via a JCAHO-, HIPAA- and FDA-compliant TeleMD workstation communication system. Unlike telephone consultations, the TeleMD workstation system, which is capable of simultaneous audio and video transmission, provides a bidirectional video-conferencing capability to help physicians thoroughly evaluate, diagnose and recommend patient treatment. The system also enables patients and/or their families to interact directly with neuro critical care experts in real-time.

"In today's medical environment, there are simply not enough neurologists available to provide 24-hour coverage in every hospital. However, time is of the essence in reversing the effects of a stroke and avoiding long-term disability, or even death," stated Dr. Marc Fisher, director of the stroke center at UMass Memorial Medical Center. "BST's unique blend of advanced telemedicine technology and its affiliate's physician services provide a much-needed avenue for community hospitals to address the challenges inherent in acute stroke treatment. But the real beneficiaries are local residents who may increase their chances of regaining normal functioning after stroke by having unprecedented, timely access to neuro critical care experts at their community hospitals."

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., with 700,000 Americans experiencing one each year. Stroke is also the leading cause of disability in the U.S., with more than 1.1 million people impaired nationwide. It is estimated that today, there are only 300 neuro intensivists trained to serve the aging U.S. population, and the need for these specialists is expected to grow significantly in coming years.

Brain Saving Technologies is headquartered in Newton, Mass. For more information, the Company can be reached at 617-332-0310, or at www.brainsavingtech.com.