REACH Call, Inc., the leading provider of 100 percent Web-based solutions for remote treatment of medical conditions such as stroke, continues to expand both its network and its executive team.

Nirav Desai has joined REACH Call as Vice President of Business Development and Marketing. Based in Chicago, Desai is responsible for the design, development and implementation of marketing, public relations, and product strategies. He also will lead business development initiatives and manage strategic partnerships.

“Nirav’s 18 years of experience in healthcare technology, telecommunications, product development, and marketing make him the perfect person to help REACH extend its leadership position in the telemedicine services industry by introducing new products and services that will continue to improve the quality of healthcare,” said Sandeep Agate, REACH Call President & CEO.

Desai most recently served as Senior Marketing Manager at Baxter Healthcare's Global Infusion Systems business, where he created the marketing strategy for one of Baxter's first new infusion pumps in 10 years. Prior to Baxter, Desai was a Global Product Manager at GE Healthcare, where he successfully launched six products globally in two years, growing product lines between 45 percent and 150 percent and spearheading the overhaul of a $21-million cardiology imaging IT product line. He holds an MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia, where he also earned a B.S. and M.S. in Systems Engineering. Desai has more than seven years of experience in IP communications, and he is a co-inventor on a biomedical engineering patent that led to a university technology spin-off.

“I am excited to join REACH Call at this critical inflection point,” said Desai. “The company has a strong executive team, sustainable business model, and cutting-edge architecture. REACH Call is on the cusp of significant growth, and I look forward to establishing business relationships and marketing strategies to take it to the next level.”

In addition to hiring new leadership, REACH Call also has added two new spoke hospitals to its growing network. Using REACH Call, Oneida Healthcare Center, a 101-bed acute care hospital in rural New York, can instantly connect with neurologists at the hub hospital, SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. With the addition of Oneida Healthcare, SUNY Upstate now serves 4 spokes.

Similarly, Burke Medical Center, a 40-bed acute care hospital in rural Georgia, now allows stroke patients to immediately consult with neurologists at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), bringing MCG’s growing network to 12 spokes.

“In stroke care, time saved is brain saved,” said Desai. “Each time we add a spoke hospital to our network, the quality of healthcare around the nation increases bit by bit. Our goal is to use our technology and expertise to help our customers grow their networks, while providing better stroke care to the millions of people in rural areas who are still at a high risk for long-term disability or death due to medical incidents such as stroke.”

REACH Call was conceived in 2003 as a way to quickly and remotely evaluate stroke patients, who often can be treated with the IV drug tPA within three hours to minimize long-term effects. The REACH Call solution has proven to have substantial clinical and economic benefits for the participating hospitals. REACH Call is now installed in hub-and-spoke networks in eight states, where neurologists at the larger “hub” hospitals provide consulting services to smaller “spoke” hospitals for remote stroke evaluation.

About REACH Call, Inc.

REACH Call, Inc. is a full-service telemedicine application services provider offering the most complete, secure and robust web-based tools powered by integrated audio-visual communication capabilities and decision support algorithms. Founded in March 2006 by Dr. David C. Hess and other leaders at the Medical College of Georgia, REACH Call’s telestroke and telehealth solutions provide for remote evaluation and diagnosis of conditions such as stroke. REACH Call’s patent-pending technology is the only 100 percent web-based telestroke / telehealth solution currently available on the market. For more information on REACH Call, visit www.reachcall.com.

About Oneida Healthcare Center

Oneida Healthcare Center (OHC) is a 101-bed acute care hospital and a 160-bed skilled nursing facility licensed by the State of New York and operated by Oneida Health Systems, Inc., a New York not-for-profit corporation. The hospital is Joint Commission accredited. OHC serves an area comprised of approximately 24 communities in Madison and western Oneida counties with a population of about 80,000 from its main campus in the city of Oneida. In addition, OHC operates primary health centers in: the villages of Canastota, Chittenango and Camden; a maternal/child clinic at the Northside Health Center in Oneida; three outreach laboratory draw stations in Oneida and Camden; and a rehabilitation and wellness center in Oneida.

About Burke Medical Center

Burke Medical Center (BMC) is a 40-bed acute care hospital located in Waynesboro, GA. In addition to providing general medical care, there are two surgical suites, four labor and delivery suites, and a nursery. Other services provided are respiratory therapy, physical therapy, enterostomal therapy, CT scans, and mammography. Support departments include dietary services, laboratory, x-ray, and ultrasound. The hospital is one of the largest employers in Burke County with more than 200 full- and part-time employees. It is owned by the Burke County Hospital Authority and managed by Healthy Span. BMC is Joint Commission accredited. The hospital also recently broke ground on an expanded, state-of-the-art emergency room.