93% of Stroke Patients Stayed Local: How a Rural Hub-and-Spoke Model Reduced Transfers and Improved Outcomes

A statewide neurological care collaborative helped keep 93.4 percent of stroke patients in their local hospitals while reducing unnecessary transfers, improving treatment coordination, and supporting growth across rural stroke programs.

This session shares the real-world operational and clinical impact of a rural hub-and-spoke neurological care model designed to improve stroke triage and coordination across geographically dispersed hospitals. Attendees will see how AI-supported workflows, faster specialist collaboration, and standardized transfer processes improved access to care while reducing transfer burden on rural facilities and patients.

What you’ll take away:

• Practical insight into what made the collaborative successful
• Where measurable improvements occurred
• What rural organizations should evaluate when building or expanding regional specialty care networks

Speakers: 

• Andrew M. Ibrahim, MD, MSc, FACS General Surgeon, University of Michigan, Chief Clinical Officer, Viz.ai
• Justin Fraser, MD, FAANS, FAHA Director of Cerebrovascular Surgery, UK Healthcare