Vermont Business Magazine There’s no question that telehealth – using telecommunications and information technologies to provide healthcare at a distance – is changing the landscape of health care in America. But perhaps the most positive effects are being felt in rural communities, where the shortage of medical specialists and the long distances between hospitals and clinics present special challenges for patients seeking care. Telehealth contributes to local care, keeping patients in their own community where they can be surrounded by loved ones and local care teams.
In recent years, Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H), New Hampshire’s largest health system, has made a significant investment in its Center for TeleHealth Services. The goal, according to Sarah N. Pletcher, medical director of the Center for Telehealth is to “build new networks of care to deliver excellent and efficient health care where and when patients and providers need us.
One of D-H’s most recent telehealth partnerships is with Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) in Windsor, VT, an affiliate of D-H. This collaboration became official earlier this year with the establishment of TeleEmergency Services at MAHHC. Now, patients who are admitted to the Emergency Department at MAHHC in Windsor can receive additional care and expertise in real time: by simply pushing a button on the wall at the time of need, MAHHC staff are connected to board certified ED providers and experienced nurses through a two-way, high-definition video/audio link coordinated by the Center for Telehealth and its partner, Avera Health of South Dakota.
“This is life-saving technology,” says Richard Marasa, MD, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at MAHHC. “It means that in any emergency where specialized care is needed, our staff can immediately activate a live connection with ED specialists. These specialists include board-certified emergency physicians, critical care specialists and nurses with specialized emergency training. There’s also a pharmacist on call and available.”
“This partnership gives us the 24/7 back-up we need in emergencies,” says Dr. Marasa. “It also lets our staff consult with experts to get an immediate second opinion on critical cases, which can be extremely valuable.”
Joseph Perras, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Director of Hospitalist Services at MAHHC notes that an additional benefit of the TeleEmergency connection between MAHHC and DHMC is the ability to arrange for the timely transportation of critically ill patients. “If the team decides a patient needs to be transferred for specialized care, the call can go out immediately for an ambulance or for the DHART helicopter.”
At the same time, says Perras, with improved emergency care available at MAHHC, lower-acuity patients may be able to stay at MAHHC – closer to their homes and families – for treatment.
About Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center
Founded in 1933, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center is a not-for-profit community hospital network including the critical access-designated Mt. Ascutney Hospital in Windsor, Vermont, and Ottauquechee Health Center in Woodstock, Vermont. Affiliated with Dartmouth-Hitchcock, the Hospital provides people in communities across the Connecticut River Valley with primary care and a comprehensive suite of specialty services, along with 25 inpatient beds, a therapeutic pool and an acclaimed, 10-bed inpatient rehabilitation department. Mt. Ascutney Hospital is a recipient of the national Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service, one of the most prestigious awards in healthcare, and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), as well as the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) with Level 3 status, the highest level of medical home designation for delivering quality care. For more information, please visit www.mtascutneyhospital.org or call (802) 674-6711.
About Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Dartmouth-Hitchcock is a nonprofit academic health system that serves a population of 1.9 million in New England. Anchored by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, the system includes the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, one of only 45 Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation; the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock; affiliate hospitals in Keene and New London, NH, and Windsor, VT; and 24 Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinics that provide ambulatory services across New Hampshire and Vermont. D-H provides access to more than 1,000 primary care doctors and specialists in almost every area of medicine. In partnership with the Audrey and Theodor Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT, it trains nearly 400 residents and fellows annually, and performs world-class research.