Telehealth
The University of Mississippi Medical Center has developed its Telehealth program to provide emergency care and other medical support to rural critical access hospitals in Mississippi. Statistics show that 53 of the state's 82 counties are more than 40 minutes away from specialist care. Access to quality care is vital - the state is last in 2011 overall health rankings and outcomes, while obesity, diabetes, infant mortality, hypertension and stroke continue to plague Mississippians.
Since its inception in 2003, Telehealth has grown to include more than 100 clinical sites and 20 different specialties, providing them with improved emergency medical services and health care through telemedicine technology.
Using existing technology and training, UMMC facilitates the training and placement of specially trained nurse practitioners in rural emergency departments, who work under direct clinical supervision by emergency staff at UMMC via a telemedicine video link - TelEmergency.
In 2008, telepsychiatry was added to the program, which was expanded to the Office of Telehealth in 2012. Twenty specialties are now offered through the Telehealth Call Center.
To date, UMMC has reached out to more than 80,000 patients in rural Mississippi with this unique program.
Services
- Telecardiology
- EKG reading service
- Echo reading service
- Holter reading service
- Stress test reading service
- CTA test reading service
- Teleconsults
- Tele-emergency/teletrauma
- Telestroke
- Access to stroke specialist
- Inpatient
- Emergency department
- Tele-obstetrics
- Telepsychiatry (adult and child)
- Mental health evaluations
- Ongoing medication management
- Child and youth psychiatry services
- Treatment for age-related conditions
- Consultation and therapy
- Crisis management call center
- Teleradiology
- Telepediatrics
- Cardiology
- Child development
- Genetics
- Neurology
- Forensics
- Teletoxicology
- Access to board-certified toxicologist
- Poison control
- Snake/spider bites
- Overdoes
- eICU/Hospitalist
- Critical care physicians
- Critical care nurses
- Telemetry and inpatient monitoring
- Consults and/or remote monitoring
- Telenursing
- Telepsychology
- Telewound care
- Telenephrology
- Mobile health clinic
Services provided by our programs include, but are not limited to:
- Specialist referral services
- Wound care
- Patient consultations
- Remote patient monitoring
- Medical education
- Consumer medical and health information
Benefits to hospitals
- Improve operating margins
- Increase revenue by avoiding transfers and increasing Case Mix Index
- Decreate cost per case
- Increase volume
- Keep patients closer to home and family
- Enhance clinician recruitment and retention
- Access to specialty physicians
- Elimination of geographic barriers
- Avoids unnecessary transfers
- Access to distance education - workforce development
- Care coordination - avoid duplication of testing
Recognitions
- Edge Runner Award for Innovative Healthcare Program by the American Academy of Nursing
- 2011 Mississippi Nightingale Award for Nursing Advocate - Dr. Galli
- Mississippi Hospital Assocations Organization of Nurse Executives - Innovation Award in 2010
- American Academy of Nursing selected the TelEmergency program to be filmed in a national documentary highlighting innovative health care programs.