PORTLAND, Ore. -- Robots roaming the hospitals -- another Portland hospital system is bringing space-age technology online to both treat and comfort patients.
This time it's for cardiovascular disease, because when it comes to stroke, time is of the essence. At its core, this story is about improving the ability of doctors at Providence Health System to diagnose and treat stroke in people who live in rural parts of the state where specialists are hard to come by.
But it has other applications as well.
Meet Tia.
She's mobile and uses a secure internet connection and video cameras so stroke doctors can help doctors in rural areas make a fast diagnoses.
Tia also helps families separated by long distances stay in touch.
Doug Romer is in La Grande, while his mom Bernice gets treatment here in Portland.
He says while he has visited in person, during the week when he's working he actually gets to see his mom even more than his sisters who live in Portland.
Doug says the robot also seems to help his mother improve faster, since she can engage with family several times a day.
