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VA Healthcare-VISN 4

 

Hi-tech Medical Care Available at Wilkes-Barre VA

By Mark Guydish - mguydish@timesleader.com

A nurse demonstrates the tele-ICU system.

Registered Nurse Mary Sabol at the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center participates in a simulation demonstrating Tele-Intensive Care Unit system brought online Tuesday. Each ICU room at the local center has remote access to doctors at the VA Medical Center in Cincinnati.

(Photo credit: Clark Van Orden | Times Leader)

It was a performance worthy of a daytime Emmy nomination.

Mr. Jones went into tachycardia in the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center ICU. With no doctor on the floor, Registered Nurse Mary Sabol flipped the clear plastic cover to access the giant red button – yes, it was really red.

A wall-mounted camera rotated to face the patient, a screen lit up, and from 560 miles away Dr. Amy Rohs asked how she could help.

Standing in the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Rohs could read all the vitals being measured on the patient in Plains Township bed, chat real time with Sabol and send orders for intravenous injections, lab tests and most other actions a physician in the room could have done.

Mr. Jones' heart rate slowed by the time Dr. Mark Scinico arrived and put stethoscope to chest.

Editor's Note: This article appeared in the July 15th issue of the Times Leader. Read the complete article.

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