| American TeleCare, Inc.
and Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center announce successful
Senate field hearing on telehealth
EDEN PRAIRE, Minn. (July 16, 2002)
- American TeleCare, Inc. and Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center
announced today the successful Senate field hearing that was held
in Pocatello, Idaho on July 2, 2002. U.S. Senator Larry Craig (R-ID),
ranking member of the Senate Committee for the Aging, held the committee
hearing on the campus of Idaho State University. The hearing was
designed to review the use of technology in Idaho that is being
used to improve access to healthcare, improve the management of
patients in the home, and to learn about other benefits related
to remote connectivity.
The hearing was the first to be conducted
where the witnesses who testified were located not only in Pocatello,
but at remote sites throughout the state, including Boise, Coeur
d’Alene, and Sandpoint using live interactive video technology.
One of the highlighted events during the hearing was the remote
health assessment of Senator Craig, located in Pocatello, by a Saint
Alphonsus Regional Medical Center home health nurse, located 200
miles away in Boise. To demonstrate the technology, the senator
weighed in on a scale, placed a blood pressure cuff around his arm,
and had his heart and lung sounds evaluated by the nurse. Both Senator
Craig and the nurse were able to see and hear each other via the
telehealth system while she gave the senator instructions and received
his vital signs measurements on her computer screen. “It's
simple, it's interactive, there's actually a face, a person talks
to you,” said Craig.
Saint Alphonsus recently acquired American
TeleCare’s home telehealth system to expand the scope of their
home health services and to increase patient access to care via
direct monitoring of patients in their home. Alice Ennis, Director
of Saint Alphonsus Home Health stated, “We’re dedicated
to providing access to quality healthcare and education through
telehealth technology. This advanced capability allows us to deliver
high quality care to homebound patients from the Treasure Valley
to rural communities.” In addition, the alliance with American
TeleCare was a natural choice. “American TeleCare’s
technical and clinical knowledge, as well as their client support
and experience in this field are first-rate. Our ability to provide
quality home telehealth is enhanced with this partnership.”
Senator Craig noted that, “Idaho has
done extremely well with laying the foundation to enable health
care providers to reach out to rural areas and provide high quality
care regardless of the distance between the patient and provider.
I was very pleased with the field hearing and was able to hear from
some very knowledgeable individuals on their experiences with new
technology. In fact, I utilized equipment a patient would have in
their home and found it easy to use. It provided me an excellent
communication link with a nurse that was across the state. I continue
to fully support Idaho’s telehealth efforts and feel many
states could learn from the experience gained by the groups I met
today,” noted Craig.
“What we were able to demonstrate
is a great example of the ease of use and reliability of our system
in monitoring individuals remotely. Using a standard phone line,
the Senator and nurse interacted live as if it were a face-to-face
visit in the same room” stated Michael Lemnitzer, senior vice
president for American TeleCare. He added, “video is a key
component in monitoring select patients. With thousands of video
units deployed in the United Sates today, our clients are successfully
realizing a quick return on their telehealth investment through
reductions in hospitalizations and emergency room admissions, cost
efficiencies in home health, and improved patient satisfaction and
compliance.”
American TeleCare, Inc., pioneered the concept
of home telehealth in 1993. The company markets the AVIVA® System,
an FDA-cleared telemedicine monitoring system that incorporates
live audio/video with integrated electronic medical peripherals
to allow a clinician to conduct remote examinations of patients
in their homes. American TeleCare has installed the majority of
home telehealth programs throughout the world, and is the recognized
industry leader. For more information, visit www.americantelecare.com.
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center
is a leader in advanced medicine, dedicated to improving the health
of its community. The first hospital to be built in Boise, Idaho,
Saint Alphonsus combines medical excellence with hi-tech innovation.
Saint Alphonsus is renowned for its state-of-the art filmless environment,
award-winning clinical services, a nationally accredited Life Flight
program and the region’s only Level II Trauma center. More
information about Saint Alphonsus can be found at www.saintalphonsus.org.
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