OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital Launches Electronic ICU and Stroke Network, Adding Additional Layers for Safety, Expertise, and Proactive Care
OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital is now a part of the OhioHealth Stroke Network and Electronic Intensive Care Unit (eICU), adding additional layers for safety, expertise, and proactive care.
The Stroke Network uses advanced virtual health technology to connect the Van Wert Hospital emergency team with OhioHealth stroke specialists across the hospital system.
This partnership is advantageous for patients who need more intensive medical care. If necessary, they can be transferred to a higher level of care at a comprehensive or primary Stroke center. This collaboration ensures that communities throughout Ohio have direct and full access to advanced technology and critical care therapies.
Electronic ICU is a secondary layer of support for critical care patients which offers remote physician and nursing expertise. The addition of the eICU supplements the current team on the floor and the role of hospitalist and nurse practitioner will not change with this addition.
Physicians who specialize in caring for critically ill patients work in a control center instead of patients’ rooms. They coordinate with the physicians and nurses on the floor. The video is a live feed with no recorded information.
The eICU allows for constant observation of a patient’s status, using artificial intelligence, video, audio, and vital sign monitors and can pick up on small changes. When that happens, the eICU alerts physicians and nurses on the ICU floor to take corrective action right away.
“This technology provides an extra layer of safety for our patients by adding the ability for our nurses and physicians to consult with an intensivist in central Ohio,” said Joy Bischoff, president of OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital. “OhioHealth has used this technology for years to support our care teams, and to enhance safety for our patients.”
“Electronic ICU acts as a secondary layer of support, harnessing the clinicians’ expertise and technology to help improve critical care patient outcomes across the system,” said Evi Zhang, eICU administrative nurse manager.
“This technology does not replace any onsite physician or nurse,” said Kristy Mueller, administrative nurse manager at Van Wert Hospital. “It provides more expertise to the team.”
The eICU system uses microphones, video cameras, alarms, and other monitoring tools to observe the patient and send information to the control center. To preserve privacy for the patient and the family, the care team ensures they are aware when the camera will be in use and the equipment has no recording capabilities.
