Winchester Rehabilitation and Nursing Center recently launched a program utilizing a telepresence medical cart that enables residents to have virtual doctor consultations right from the comfort of their rooms.
The telepresence medical cart is the creation of Bob Marino, Salter HealthCare’s IT Manager. Consisting of a computer, monitor, electronic stethoscope, heart monitor, wand camera, desktop EKG machine and two web cameras, the virtual care communication station is a mobile unit that can be easily wheeled into residents’ rooms.
“I was looking to put together a system that would reduce our residents’ trips to the Emergency Room. This also allows our residents to see and speak to their physicians more often. The communication is done over a secure one-to-one connection between the resident and physician,” noted Marino. ” It’s pretty straightforward and there’s no service purchase involved on the doctors’ end.”
Combining video, audio and web conferencing, the easy-to-use telepresence platform operates on Windows XP system. It allows medical personnel to take EKG’s, measure heart rates, assess wounds, and share and document patient information.
According to Bob Driscoll, Salter HealthCare’s Chief Operating Officer, “Similar to video conferencing, the telepresence med cart allows patients and doctors to have remote visits. This certainly doesn’t replace in-person visits but it’s a great tool for a post-acute setting because it’s less disruptive for our patients and keeps them connected with doctors and specialists when they are not available on-site.”
Driscoll added, “We’re delighted that Bob Marino created this unit for us. Utilizing the cart, the clinician can look at the patient, get some clinical information, for example, lung sounds or an EKG, and assess whether the patient needs to be further evaluated in the Emergency Room. We look forward to rolling this out at our other two facilities as well. At Salter, it’s about increasing our capacity to care for our residents and this system allows us to do that by creating another opportunity for patient-to-physician access.”
Winchester Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, located at 223 Swanton Street in Winchester, is owned and operated by Salter HealthCare. With 120 beds, the skilled nursing facility provides high quality short-term, traditional nursing, respite and hospice care in gracious, homelike surroundings.
Providing health care services since 1956, Salter HealthCare also owns and operates Aberjona Rehabilitation and Nursing Care located at 184 Swanton Street in Winchester, and Woburn Rehabilitation and Nursing Center located at 18 Frances Street in Woburn. For more information or to schedule a tour of any of the Salter HealthCare facilities, call Deb Donovan, RN, Marketing Director at: (781) 781-2122.
