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Staying the Course to Deliver High
American Telemedicine
Quality and Compassionate Care
Provides Link+ to Home

Healthcare Agencies As President of the Dade Additionally, our DCMA

County Medical Association Foundation will be mov-
American Telemedicine provides Link+ to home healthcare agencies during (DCMA), I am in awe of the ing forward with the cre-
COVID-19, to keep caregivers and patients safe during this unprecedented compassion and commit- ation of a wellness pro-
pandemic. ment being illustrated by my gram to take care of mem-
As the delivery of healthcare continues to shift outside traditional settings, colleagues and the dedicated bers that need additional
we, as providers, need to focus on how to manage and keep patients engaged medical professionals support and counsel as we
at home, while preventing hospital readmissions. throughout our community move on together. This
The Link+ is an innovative smart home platform that integrates key medical as we continue to fight program will be modeled
devices in a patient’s home and securely collects and transmits vital biometrics COVID-19. after similar programs in
in real-time. The data is collected and stored in the HIPAA-compliant portal. Several weeks ago, I had operation in Florida and
Physicians, home health Administrators, caregivers, and family members can an opportunity to speak BY RUDOLPH MOISE, continues the effort the
have a total comprehensive view of the patient’s overall health. They also can with one of my colleagues DO, JD, MBA DCMA has made over the
generate and customize monthly reports on the secure portal. about the continued pres- past two years to provide
American Telemedicine’s Link+ is a cost-effective solution for daily patient ence of the pandemic in our mental health assistance
monitoring and is quickly becoming an indispensable tool for many home community and the ability to professionals such as
healthcare agencies and physicians. By allowing access to these home services, of clinicians to maintain their strength the North Miami Police Department and
the number of home visits are reduced along with the healthcare delivery and wits in the face of this extreme pres- the North Miami Beach Police
costs. Thereby, optimizing doctors, nurses, and home health agencies time. sure. He spoke in detail of the daily Department.
This creates significant revenue and referrals. struggle of driving into the hospital I am confident that, once we finally
The Link+ technology uses a 4G Smart Home Gateway that seamlessly knowing what the day had in store, then turn the page on COVID-19, history will
incorporates key medical devices in a patient’s home, eliminating the need to returning home to his family at night remember so many of you that stood up
download an app or use a tablet. This wearable device allows the medical sharing the day’s burden and worry that and repeatedly answered the call to serve
provider or agency to conduct a video or audio call directly to the patient via he may yet introduce this virus into his your patients. Our community will be
their Link+ device. The patient can wear the Link+ around their neck and take home. Few would have guessed some six forever in your debt and should collec-
it with them wherever they go. It has fall detection, GPS location, medication months ago that we would have to keep tively step forward to take care of you as
reminders, and triggers alerts for early intervention. up this sustained onslaught to protect well. There is renewed appreciation for
Patients report feeling “better taken care of “and have “total peace of mind our neighbors and fellow citizens. your daily sacrifice.
in their own homes”, according to Ed Salazar. “The Link+ is a complete well- Many of you have the same experience I am confident that over the coming
ness platform that should be in the home of every individual with an underly- of gearing up day-after-day for months to weeks and months all of you will contin-
ing medical condition. Physicians can bill Medicare and private insurance for fight a battle that too often ends with a ue to serve our profession proudly and
remote patient monitoring and telehealth visits,” says Ed Salazar, a Respiratory solemn conversation with a grieving continue to answer your calling. May
Therapist for over 40 years and VP of American Telemedicine. family member. you and your families continue to stay
The Link+ HIPAA-compliant telehealth device supports and enhances cur- The toll this pandemic will have on the safe.
rent diagnoses and prescriptions, manages many chronic diseases, supports mental health and resiliency of our pro-
medical staff by conserving PPE and ensuring that our hospitals do not fession cannot be overstated. There has Dr. Rudolph Moise is President of the
become overburdened during the current health crisis. been legislation filed in Washington that Dade County Medical Association.
will attempt to address the mental health For more information, contact the
For more information, visit american-telemedicine.com or call (561) 278-2222. implications of COVID-19 on our clini- DCMA at (305) 324-8717.
cians.

Cover Story: Nurses at Forefront of Pandemics

Continued from page 1
the simulation hospital in particular nursing services filled." She added that the profession. Nurses have been dealing a time when the need is large – large not
brought small groups of students in enrollments are completely full for fall as with this for a very long time." only because we have a nursing shortage,
where they were able to safely practice well. However, pandemics aren't the only but also because there's so much work to
decision-making activities and get their She said the University of Miami has a thing on the minds of nurses. In non-pan- be done in the middle of the pandemic and
skill sets ready for the face-to-face clini- commitment to providing face-to-face demic times, students are permitted to go the middle of racial injustices. This is the
cal encounters. education in the fall for those students to Latin America and the Caribbean and perfect opportunity for nurses and public
Dean Munro said summer program who want to return to campus. While do clinical hours and provide health care health officials to make a difference."
enrollment was "incredibly strong," and some nursing courses will offer lectures on mission trips. Dean Munro said it helps In what Dean Munro called "an interest-
credits it partly to people seeing the effects online, the students will have to be on-site them to understand issues of people who ing confluence of events," the year 2020 is
of the pandemic, as well as issues related to do their clinical experience or simula- are not native to this country, people who the International Year of the Nurse, in
to racial inequities. "Nursing is a profes- tion hospital experiences. come from a different background. "It honor of the 200th birthday of Florence
sion that addresses both of those things, so Despite COVID-19, Dean Munro said gives them sensitivity, in a way that really Nightingale (May 12, 1820). "It happened
we have seen very strong applications and the school had no need to add any new makes their nursing care more appropriate at the same time that we have a global pan-
very strong enrollment." She said the courses to its programs, because much of and more effective. Nursing has always demic, and at the same time there's such a
school usually accepts 85 new students the content related to the pandemic is been connected to social justice, and to heightened attention to inequities in our
every summer, but this year accepted 119. already in the curriculum. "In the past we viewing each individual with respect and society. It's pretty powerful." Just like the
"We had an embarrassment of student have run pandemic simulations in the sim- dignity." nurses themselves.
riches. That's a much larger group than ulation hospital; and early parts of under- She went on to say, "Our students are
we've taken in the past, but the students graduate nursing involve infection control excited about being here, excited about For more information, call (305) 284-3666
wanted to be here, and we feel an obliga- and the use of personal protective equip- being nurses and public health officials. or visit www.sonhs.miami.edu.
tion to keep that pipeline of high-quality ment. All of those make up the bedrock of And they're coming into the profession at

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14 September 2020 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News