Banner Health’s pilot program in Greenly Colorado https://www.BannerHealth.com is working to increase access to obstetrical care for moms who are in labor in rural communities.
The OB telehealth project enables family physicians with obstetric privileges in rural areas to connect with a specialist whose focus is to care for women in labor and deliver their newborns.
The program began at the Sterling Regional MedCenter in April 2022 and enables physicians there to consult with OB/GYN hospitalists at the North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley.
The consultations can take place over the phone between two physicians, or they can bring a telehealth cart into the patient’s room to a virtual three way conversation and a visual connection.
The added benefit of the program is that the OB/GYN hospitalist can access the patient’s medical record and see real time information on the mom and baby’s health.
Dr. Blake McLaughin, Banner OB/GYN, reports, “In rural areas, you might only have two family physicians who provide OB care so if one of them is away the other physician is alone. Expected outcomes of the program are going to be a decreased need for medical interventions in the birth such as a C-section, and a decreased need to transfer the patient from a rural hospital to a larger hospital.”