Case Study: Hilo Benioff Medical Center achieves 41% faster door-to-needle times with Pulsara

Hilo Benioff Medical Center Improves Average Door-to-Needle Time by 41%

Hilo Benioff Medical Center, a 166‑bed Level III Trauma Center and Primary Stroke Center in Hawaii that treats nearly 600 stroke cases per year, faced long treatment delays caused by rural transport and a slow transfer‑line process to off‑island neurologists. With an average door‑to‑needle (DTN) time of 58 minutes and a goal under 60, HBMC needed faster, more reliable communication—so they adopted Pulsara’s healthcare communication platform to streamline prehospital and interfacility coordination.

Using Pulsara, EMS, HBMC staff, and Queen’s Medical Center neurologists are instantly connected via a shared channel for text, video, and documentation, allowing neurologic evaluations to begin before patient arrival and bypassing the transfer line. Since Pulsara went live in October 2024, 40 activations (9 Tenecteplase treatments) averaged a 34.1‑minute DTN — 41.2% faster than transfer‑line cases — and HBMC’s overall average DTN fell from 58 to 53.9 minutes in three months; the hospital is now exploring Pulsara expansion to STEMI and trauma.

Hilo Benioff Medical Center

Caitee McAllister

Stroke Coordinator