TeleSpecialists works with partner hospitals to evaluate their infrastructure against the clinical, technological, and operational requirements for extended window stroke care. This assessment covers imaging capabilities, AI tool access, neuroradiology coverage, transfer protocols, and compliance and governance readiness. TeleSpecialists does not recommend that any facility expand eligibility before this evaluation is complete. Contact our team to begin that conversation.

The 2026 AHA/ASA stroke guidelines represent the most significant shift in acute stroke care in decades, moving from a strictly time-based model to one that incorporates imaging findings alongside time for select patients. The standard treatment window of 4.5 hours for IV thrombolysis remains the only Class I recommendation and the firm standard of care. The updated guidelines introduce a Class IIa/IIb recommendation extending IV thrombolysis eligibility up to 24 hours for carefully selected patients who meet specific CT perfusion imaging criteria. TeleSpecialists serves more than 400 partner hospitals across 32 states and is actively supporting clinical teams through the operational and clinical implications of this transition.

For the clinical scenarios TeleSpecialists addresses, the answer is yes. The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recognize telestroke as a standard of care for facilities without on-site neurology, and multiple peer-reviewed studies confirm that treatment decisions and outcomes in telestroke programs are equivalent to in-person evaluation. TeleSpecialists physicians use the same diagnostic tools, access the same imaging, and follow the same clinical guidelines as they would in a face-to-face setting.

TeleSpecialists partner hospitals consistently expand their service lines over time, which reflects the operational and clinical value of the partnership more accurately than a single retention figure. Partnership outcomes depend on service mix and facility context, and we are glad to connect prospective partners directly with current hospital contacts who can speak to their experience firsthand.

TeleSpecialists is physician-owned, has operated since 2014, and delivers board-certified neurology coverage with documented response times under three minutes for stroke consults. Unlike shift-based staffing models, TeleSpecialists physicians maintain accountability to your specific patient population rather than rotating across programs without continuity. That operational structure supports both stroke certification goals and consistent clinical performance over time.

TeleSpecialists is a physician-owned digital healthcare company founded in 2014, providing neurology and psychiatry services to more than 400 partner hospitals across 32 states. Our board-certified specialists have supported more than 1.5 million patients through TeleStroke, TeleNeuroHospitalist rounding, TeleEEG interpretation, outpatient neurology, and TelePsychiatry.

TeleSpecialists provides six core service lines to partner hospitals: TeleStroke coverage, TeleNeuroHospitalist rounding, TeleEEG interpretation, outpatient neurology, TelePsychiatry, and shared on-call coverage through TSRoute. Telemedicine Cart solutions are also available for facilities building or upgrading their digital healthcare infrastructure. Each service line is designed to extend specialist access to patients in communities without local neurology or psychiatry resources.

The TeleSpecialists physician network includes neurologists with subspecialty training in vascular neurology, epilepsy, clinical neurophysiology, neurohospitalist medicine, and general neurology. Our psychiatry network includes board-certified general psychiatrists and those with subspecialty experience in emergency psychiatry and consultation-liaison psychiatry.

TeleSpecialists serves community hospitals, critical access hospitals, rural health systems, and regional medical centers across 32 states. Any facility seeking to expand neurology or psychiatry access without the cost or complexity of in-house recruitment can benefit from a partnership, regardless of bed count or annual volume.

Digital neurology programs through TeleSpecialists are designed to be financially accessible for facilities of all sizes, including critical access hospitals. The shared coverage model through TSRoute is specifically structured for lower-volume facilities where a dedicated full-time arrangement is not cost-effective. Pricing is based on your facility volume and service configuration to ensure the program is sustainable from the first year of partnership.

Yes. One of the most direct financial benefits of a digital neurology partnership is the reduction in unnecessary patient transfers. When a board-certified TeleSpecialists neurologist is available in under three minutes, your team can evaluate, treat, and admit patients who would otherwise be transferred out, keeping facility revenue in-house and improving the patient experience.

A TeleStroke program generates revenue in two primary ways: it enables your hospital to treat stroke patients in-house rather than transferring them, retaining associated facility revenue, and certified stroke programs attract more patients through improved community recognition and referral patterns. TeleSpecialists partner hospitals have documented meaningful increases in neurology-related admissions after implementing TeleStroke coverage.

Maintaining neurologist coverage through locum arrangements is expensive and unreliable. A digital healthcare partnership with TeleSpecialists replaces that variable cost with a predictable, contracted service with no recruitment fees, no credentialing gaps, and no service interruptions due to scheduling failures.

Multi-year agreements are standard for TeleSpecialists partnerships, as they allow both parties to invest in implementation, workflow optimization, and quality improvement with a meaningful time horizon. Contract term length and structure are discussed during the proposal process and designed to align with your facility’s planning cycle.

There is no minimum volume threshold that disqualifies a facility from partnering with TeleSpecialists. We work with hospitals across a wide range of sizes and volumes, including critical access hospitals with low annual stroke counts, with coverage model and pricing structured to reflect your actual volume.

The ROI of a digital neurology program depends on your facility’s baseline transfer rate, payer mix, and stroke volume. Hospitals that reduce unnecessary transfers retain the full facility reimbursement for each patient treated in-house, while reduced reliance on locum neurologists lowers fixed staffing costs. TeleSpecialists works with prospective partners to model the financial impact specific to their facility before contract execution.

TeleSpecialists physicians work under an employment or contractor structure depending on role and geographic location. All physicians delivering clinical services through the TeleSpecialists platform are credentialed, covered under our professional liability policy, and held to consistent quality and documentation standards regardless of employment classification.

TeleSpecialists neurologists work scheduled shifts from a secure remote location, handling consults as they are initiated by partner hospitals. Shifts include acute stroke evaluations, neurological emergencies, and depending on the service line, scheduled rounding or EEG interpretation, with full access to clinical documentation, imaging, and direct communication with bedside staff.

TeleSpecialists partner hospitals consistently document improvements in door-to-needle times for stroke patients, reductions in unnecessary transfers, and improvements in patient disposition following neurological emergencies. TeleSpecialists tracks outcomes data across all partner facilities and shares performance benchmarks as part of our quality reporting program. Specific outcome data from comparable facilities is available upon request.

Rural and underserved hospitals receive the same standard of service as any TeleSpecialists partner, including 24/7 specialist availability, dedicated implementation support, quality reporting, and access to the Rapid Response Center. TeleSpecialists also supports rural partners in pursuing stroke certification, which can improve CMS reimbursement rates and community recognition.

Transitions from a prior provider are managed through a structured TeleSpecialists handoff process. Our implementation team coordinates with your medical staff office on credentialing, your IT team on EMR integration, and your clinical staff on workflow training before any coverage changeover. Most transitions are completed without a gap in coverage.

New TeleSpecialists physicians complete a structured onboarding process that includes technology training, clinical protocol review, documentation standards, and credentialing coordination for partner hospitals. Ongoing support is provided through a physician engagement team, and continuing education resources are available through our learning platform. Physicians are fully prepared before they go live at any partner facility.

TeleSpecialists functions as your neurology department for hospitals without an employed neurologist. Our platform provides on-demand specialist access for stroke, seizure, altered mental status, and other neurological emergencies, with physicians who document in your EMR and are credentialed through your medical staff office as they would be for any on-site specialist.