Implementing a stroke system of care in a rural hospital: a case report from Granite Falls.

Acute stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Both time-sensitive treatment and telemedicine are being used to improve the care of stroke patients in rural areas. This article highlights the case of a 62-year-old male patient with sudden onset of right-sided hemiparesis and a family history of vascular disease and how he was treated at a rural hospital that was connected by telemedicine technology to an urban tertiary care center. It also reviews protocols for acute treatment of stroke and systems of stroke care in rural areas.