Page 16 - CANNABIS NEWS FLORIDA JULY 2020

ADVANCES IN TELEMEDICINE

Telehealth Technology Connecting People Separated By COVID-19

Everyone with a career come it, and telehealth video hospital personnel, and those they’re in everyday practice. This includes replac-
in healthcare hopes their technology provided a solu- contact with, to infection. ing in-person examinations, when possi-
work will make a differ- tion, connecting families and As we rolled out the program at MHP, ble, with online visits through portals
ence for patients in need. offering some small comfort there was an immediate demand for like our own MemorialDocNow
For clinicians, the feed- in an otherwise heartbreak- additional equipment that required us to (www.memorialdocnow.com) and
back can be immediate, ing situation. While it cer- double the number of installations we MyChart applications.
with saving a life being the tainly didn’t ease the pain of initially planned for. It was a case of tech- A 600% increase in telehealth usage
ultimate validation of an not being there in person, nology providing a game-changing solu- within our healthcare system in 2020
individual or team’s being able to communicate tion to a problem, frequently entering foreshadows the future of the telemedi-
efforts. For those on the till the very end, even if it patient rooms, that hadn’t previously cine, but it’s a journey we’ve been on
administrative side, the was only virtually, brought been an issue. since 2014. It was then that Memorial’s
correlation between their some much-needed closure To date, more than 250 iPads have forward-thinking leadership first under-
area of specialty and life- BY BILL MANZIE and peace of mind among been distributed throughout Memorial stood telehealth could better serve
changing impact isn’t usu- the despair. Healthcare System and have been univer- patients, protect our bottom line, and
ally that direct. sally embraced by patients, families, meet the desires of an increasingly tech-
COVID-19 changed that for me, and it Pilot Program nurses, doctors, and even chaplains look- savvy consumer base.
resulted not from a second chance at life, We then looked to Memorial Hospital ing to communicate in non-emergency Six years later, it’s a care delivery
but in providing more compassionate Pembroke (MHP) in Pembroke Pines as situations. For patients and families in method that is now accepted by patients,
endings to meaningful lives. another outlet to innovate and expand less critical situations, the technology care providers, and payers in a way it
the benefits of telehealth. With an eye on helps pass the time and enables those wasn’t before ‘stay-at-home orders’ and
No Visitors enhancing communication between outside the hospital to keep up to date on ‘physical distancing’ became part of our
Of all the truly heartbreaking aspects patients and clinicians, our team the medical treatment of their loved everyday vernacular and COVID-19
of coronavirus, and no doubt there are installed bedside iPads in two coron- ones. changed the way people live and die.
many, one of the most regrettable is when avirus units. Tablets in nearly 50 patient
patients pass away without loved ones by rooms now automatically link with the Here to Stay Bill Manzie is Administrative Director of
their side. But with COVID a threat to medical staff so those too sick to operate Whether iPads or the next generation Telehealth Strategy for Memorial
everyone, hospitals had to significantly a device can still be connected at all of equipment, it’s understood this style of Healthcare System and was a member of
restrict their visitation policies to keep times with caregivers. technology will continue long after the State of Florida’s Telehealth Advisory
healthcare staff, patients, and families While it will never completely replace COVID-19 runs its course. While the Council under former Governor Rick Scott.
safe and prevent further exposure. A dif- in-person care and contact, nor should it, pandemic certainly increased the speed He has also chaired the Health Information
ficult but unavoidable situation for using telehealth in this way reduces the of acceptance, care providers were Technology committee for the South Florida
everyone. burn rate of personal protective equip- already becoming comfortable making Hospital & Healthcare Association.
We were determined, however, to over- ment and the risk of further exposing other forms of telemedicine part of their

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