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New system will remotely monitor critical care patients
Anchorage, AK - Providence Alaska Medical Center has installed a new system that will allow physicians and nurses to monitor critically ill patients from an off-site location 24 hours a day. Providence went live with the system, called eICU, on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009. The new eICU doesn’t replace bedside care by a personal physician. Instead, it provides a second set of eyes, watching out for patients in Providence’s Adult Critical Care unit through constant monitoring of vital signs and tracking medications, blood test results, X-rays and other information over private, high-speed data lines.
"Implementation of the eICU is one more example of our continuous pursuit of clinical excellence," said Dr. Roy Davis, chief medical officer. "The eICU has been demonstrated to improve outcomes for critically ill patients – and we are pleased to bring this state-of-the-art technology to Alaska for the benefit of our patients and their families."
The eICU’s powerful computer system continuously analyzes information and alerts the eICU staff to possible problems before they occur. The system also includes special cameras that provide direct visual and verbal communication between the eICU and critical care teams. The eICU, located in Providence’s Health Park, will be staffed by a multidisciplinary team, including physicians, critical care nurses and health unit coordinators.
The eICU is staffed with critical care nurses starting Jan. 22 and will add physicians in the second quarter of 2009. The Adult Critical Care’s 28 beds is the first ICU in Alaska to go live. The service will be available to other ICUs and hospitals in the future.
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About Providence Alaska Medical Center
Providence Alaska Medical Center is part of Providence Health & Services, a not-for-profit network of hospitals, care centers, health plans, physicians, clinics, home health services, affiliated services and educational facilities. For more information about PAMC, visit: www.providence.org/alaska
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