SCCH and the Richard G. Lugar Center for Rural Health have partnered in recent years to bring telehealth services including telemental health, telecardiology, and telenephrology to SCCH patients in an effort to improve outcomes more quickly and efficiently, with less travel time for the patients. Telehealth offers a consultation with a specialist to the patient while they are in SCCH, rather than needing to make an appointment and travel to the physician’s office. This is done in real time, after the patient’s medical information has been transmitted to the consulting physician for review.

During a telehealth consultation, a computer is wheeled into the patient’s room, and the nursing staff stays with the patient while he/she is communicating with the physician via the digital feed. The patient and doctor are able to interact and ask appropriate questions to help determine the proper diagnosis and treatment options. Family members are also allowed to stay in the room and interact, just as they would if they had accompanied the patient on a physician’s office visit.

Chief Nursing Office Lori Resler, RN, has this to say about the program, “It’s a good program for our patients, since it gives them access to physicians locally and quickly, so they can stay near their family and support system. The additional knowledge given immediately is also beneficial to our staff.”

Participating physicians/clinics involved in the program with SCCH at this time include Hamilton Center, Providence Medical Group, UAP Clinic Cardiology, Internal Medicine and Nephrology and Providence Hematology and Oncology.

For more information on the Wabash Valley Rural Telehealth Program, visit their website at www.ruraltelenet.org.