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Acting fast during a stroke can save a life—but are you fully equipped to play your role in the telestroke response team? This course empowers behavioral health clinicians with the clinical knowledge and procedural fluency needed to support timely, effective stroke care in a telehealth environment.
Whether you’re on the frontlines of a rural hospital or coordinating care remotely, this training prepares you to contribute with confidence, clarity, and clinical precision during high-stakes telestroke scenarios.
This course is co-taught by Dr. Burton J. Tabaac and Raymond Barrett, LMHC, LPC.
Dr. Burton J. Tabaac, a fellowship-trained cerebrovascular neurologist and stroke program director, brings years of front-line neurology experience and academic insight into this training. His career has been defined by a passion for advancing acute stroke care and building high-performing clinical teams.
Dr. Tabaac guides learners through real-world telestroke scenarios, offering clear instruction on diagnostic decision-making, patient maneuvering, and scoring techniques using the NIH Stroke Scale. His approach blends clinical rigor with accessible teaching so learners at any level can master the essentials.
Topics include stroke pathophysiology, telestroke workflows, ischemic stroke presentation, diagnostic algorithms, telehealth patient engagement strategies, and application of the NIHSS in virtual settings. You'll also review video examples and learn how to support efficient treatment decisions that minimize patient morbidity and mortality.
Key Takeaways
Master clinical decision-making in stroke care: Learn how to formulate diagnostic algorithms that support timely interventions.
Strengthen telehealth encounter skills: Identify symptoms of ischemic stroke and improve patient positioning to optimize assessment.
Apply a validated scoring system: Use the NIH Stroke Scale to promote faster, more accurate telestroke evaluations.
Why this course?
Led by a stroke program director: You’ll gain insight directly from a vascular neurologist who trains medical students and leads hospital-based stroke care.
Purpose-built for telestroke roles: Designed for those assisting remotely or onsite during stroke events, including clinicians new to stroke support.
Real-world, zero-fluff training: Focused on clinically actionable content—no filler, just the information you need to make an impact.
Learning Objectives
Formulate an accurate algorithm for the diagnosis of a patient with cerebral ischemic stroke
Accurately identify symptoms that could correlate with ischemic stroke, and utilize appropriate patient maneuvering techniques to enhance a Telestroke encounter.
Apply the NIHSS, a nationally validated and utilized stroke scoring scale, so that patients are treated efficiently and correctly in an effort to minimize morbidity and mortality.
Gain the clarity, confidence, and clinical awareness you need to effectively support stroke interventions in a telehealth environment. This course will help you step into your role with skill—and make a difference when seconds count.
Add to cart to begin learning instantly.
This is a non-interactive, self-study course and offers no continuing education credits.
Availability: From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.
Who Should Attend: This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.
Teaching Methods: This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.
How to Attend: Instructions for attending and completing a course can be found here.
Burton J. Tabaac, MD believes that neurology is the forefront of medicine today. “The amount of research currently dedicated to studying the intricacies of the brain will prove to springboard the medical field into the next generation.” The acuity and pace of vascular neurology suit his skillset and has become his passion within the field. Serving as the Comprehensive Stroke Director at Renown Health, Tabaac leads a team of neurologists in the cutting-edge treatment and prevention of cerebrovascular diseases. Also serving to teach medical students and residents, he is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Neuroscience from Lehigh University (2009). After graduating from AUC School of Medicine where he earned his MD (2014), Tabaac completed a neurology residency at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson in New Brunswick, NJ. There, he was humbled to have been selected as a three-time recipient of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation's Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award (2016, 2017, & 2018). Tabaac has also been honored by being inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He is a graduate of the fellowship program in cerebrovascular neurology at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, MD. His clinical and research interests involve the minimization of tPA times, quality improvement, stroke recovery, and program building.
Raymond Barrett is the founder and CEO of the Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC (TCI). A licensed mental health counselor (LMHC and LPC), Ray is an innovator and leader in the field of telemental health. He’s an expert telehealth trainer, a respected speaker, and a trusted consultant.
Ray’s inspiration for TCI came from his clients that started asking him to conduct their therapy sessions over the phone. Ray had discovered a knowledge gap in mental health training. He wanted to fill that void with comprehensive and practical training in telemental health - so Ray created that training for himself and fellow clinicians.
Since 2014, TCI has delivered comprehensive telehealth training and consultation to a global network of more than 40,000 healthcare organizations and professionals. TCI now offers over 180 specialized courses, a vast array of telehealth resources, and ongoing free continuing education opportunities for telehealth providers. Among the most sought-after courses offered by TCI is the Telemental Health Training Certificate (THTC Certificate) program.
Ray played a significant role in developing the initial curriculum for the Board Certified Telemental Health credential (BC-TMH) for the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE). He reviewed every training module. He helped draft content, including questions for exams. He even wrote and developed the initial draft of one of the training modules: Telemental Health Settings and Coordination of Care.
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) - the most respected organization for telehealth - recently overhauled its guidelines. Ray was on the writing committee that developed Best Practices in Synchronous Videoconferencing-Based Telemental Health in March 2022.
In 2019, Ray participated in a task force for developing a clinical rating process for mobile apps designed to help treat depression. The recommendations were presented to ATA.
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides accreditation services worldwide at the request of health and human service providers. As part of the International Standards Advisory Committee (ISAC), Ray helped establish CARF’s standards for virtual services.
Ray also is a frequent speaker and consultant for professional organizations. He has presented for over 20 organizations since 2015.
Disclosure Statement: The instructor for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.
There are no CE credits offered with this certificate program, just one hour of great content.
Participants earn the TeleStroke Facilitator Certificate upon completion. Participants may request a printed version of their certificate of completion to be delivered by mail. A shipping/handling fee of $6.95 will be charged per request. Shipping internationally may require an additional charge.
