Air Force medics at the Mike O’Callaghan Federal Medical Center located at Nellis Air Force Base www.nellis.af.mil/units/NellisMedicalcenter.aspx is partnering with the Veterans Administration (VA) www.va.gov to bring the first Tele-ICU to the Critical Care Unit at the base.
“The Tele-ICU will use audio and a visual computer network to fill gaps in coverage in the ICU”, said Matt Goede, https://www.visn23.va.gov Regional Tele-ICU Associate Medical Director at VISN 23.
He said, “A central hub located in Minneapolis with nurses and physicians will be able to monitor patients with rooms wired with a video camera, video monitor, a speaker, plus microphones so that they can immediately teleconference in real-time if necessary”.
According to Kay Clutter, VA Operations Director, “We can see wave forms and hemodynamics that come across the screen. It is possible to observe when a patient is starting to decline and sometimes, we can see the decline before the bedside physicians because of the alerts we receive on patients. We can then use a high definition camera to act as a decision support tool for the physician on-site if requested.”
Air Force Colonel Patrick Danaher, Air Force Medical Operations Agency Chief Internal Medicine Consultant states, “The primary goals are to ensure zero harm and to provide the highest quality care to our patients.”
The Air Force hopes to eventually be able to supplement the care that is presently offered in downrange facilities and forward operating bases that only have a handful of doctors and nurses. This means that stabilized patients in remote facilities will be able to be monitored.
To eventually move the technology to more bases, AFMS has partnered with the VA in a Defense/VA Sharing Initiative called the “Joint Incentive Fund” (JIF) www.health.mil. The JIF was established to provide seed money and incentives for innovative DOD/VA joint sharing initiatives to improve the quality of care and drive cost savings at regional and national level facilities.