Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate.
SHREVEPORT, La. – OchsnerLSU Health Shreveport - Monroe Medical Center launcheda teleICU program expanding the intensive care and specialty physiciansavailable to patients through two-way audio and video connections with itsAcademic Medical Center in Shreveport. Launched in March, Shreveport physicianscollaborate with the local medical team in Monroe to increase the timelinessand level of care.
Sixteen ICU rooms and a consultation room at the MonroeMedical Center are now equipped with the two-way teleICU monitors allowing additionaloff-site specialty physicians to virtually round on patients. The program providesthe patients with access to critical care specialists, increasing thelikelihood for Monroe’s patients to remain local for their medical care. Otherbenefits include a reduction in response time for patient care decisions andshortening the length of the hospital stay.
“The addition of a teleICU has added depth to the criticalservices provided at the hospital and enabled some patients to be cared forhere in Monroe, rather than transporting them 100 miles to Shreveport. Bettercare, faster care and local care are the great takeaways,” says Dr. RichardCavell, Chief Medical Officer at the Monroe Medical Center.
“Our program was designed in collaboration with theestablished teleICU program at Ochsner Health and allows intensive carephysicians in Shreveport to support medical decisions in Monroe. We can examinethe patients, review the bedside devices, visit with the patient and family,and have multidisciplinary rounds with the bedside team including physicians,respiratory therapists and pharmacists developing a comprehensive plan for thepatient each day.” says Dr. Bob Walter, Medical Director for the Critical CareService Line for Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport.
“Augmenting the existing patient care team, the teleICUprogram empowers our medical center to take care of a larger population here inMonroe and have deeper insight for those needing immediate intervention,” saysJonathan Phillips, COO, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport – Monroe Medical Center.
###
On Oct. 1, 2018,Ochsner Health (Ochsner) and LSU Health Shreveport jointly formed Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport too versee and coordinate activities between the health sciences center and the healthcare delivery system in Shreveport and Monroe, La. Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport is a public private partnership with a vision to improve health and well-being of its communities, access to care, quality, and facilities, expand patient-centered technology, grow the medical school, and enhance research in North Louisiana by building on the strengths of Ochsner and LSU Health Shreveport. Under the new structure,Ochsner brings their nationally-recognized expertise to the management of operations for partner hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe, clinics and the clinical activity of the LSUHSC-S Faculty Group Practice. LSU will continue to successfully oversee the LSUHSC-S School of Medicine, School of Allied Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, Graduate Medical Education, and research initiatives.
Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport includes North Louisiana’s only Level 1 Trauma Center at its 452-bed hospital in Shreveport, La. The organization also operates a 244-bed hospital in Monroe,La. With more than 3,400 employees and the Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Physician Group of approximately 500 physicians, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport serves more than 135,000 patients with more than 600,000 visits annually.
To find out more about Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport, please visit www.ochsnerlsuhs.org.