Champlin Foundations grant funds telemedicine video monitoring units for South County Home Health

WAKEFIELD – South County Home Health received a $19,700 grant from The Champlin Foundations to purchase 10 new video telemedicine units, which will allow remote clinical oversight by a registered nurse for patients receiving home care.
The automated digital voice on a telemedicine unit talks a patient through the process of capturing weight, heart rate, percent oxygenation of blood and blood pressure. That data is then electronically exported to South County Home Health where a nurse reviews the information and initiates care if needed.
Upgraded telemedicine technology now allows for HIPAA-compliant, real-time video interaction with patients, in addition to recording vital signs. The lightweight, eight-inch Samsung tablet allows for various interactions between patients and South County Home Health staff. A wound care nurse specialist, for example, can check the progress of a patient’s healing wound. Individuals living on Block Island can use the tablet to video their home environment so an occupational therapist can offer suggestions to decrease fall risks. The technology can also provide in-home counseling to homebound patients struggling with diabetes or heart failure.
Telemedicine has demonstrated positive health outcomes, according to South County Home Health data. In the last year alone, South County Home Health’s Telemedicine Program has decreased the number of hospitalizations related to heart failure, which is the leading cause of hospitalizations for adults older than 65 in the United States.
South County Home Health provides in-home skilled health care to approximately 4,500 patients a year of all ages in Washington and Kent counties. Services are provided by a multidisciplinary team of nurses, rehabilitation therapists, social workers, a nutritionist, diabetic educators and wound care specialists.

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