BSA and Cook Children's Partner to Bring Texas Panhandle First Telemedicine Platform

January 22, 2018
BSA Hospital has partnered with Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth to offer telemedicine in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatrics Department. The BSA NICU and Pediatrics are the first in the region and third in the nation to use telemedicine through Cook Children’s.
 
This partnership allows specialists from Cook Children’s to consult with staff at BSA through the InTouch Lite. This platform enables patients and their families to receive input from specialists at Cook Children’s without the cost and stress of being transported so far from home.
 
“We are honored to partner with BSA to help the children of Amarillo and surrounding communities receive everything they medically need without having to travel far from home,” said Kim Epperson, Director of Telemedicine and Virtual Health at Cook Children’s. “This partnership will make it much easier for medically-fragile babies to receive the highest quality of care while limiting their family’s time away from work and needs at home.”
 
BSA NICU and Newborn Nursery Manager, Cristina Vasquez says BSA’s partnership with Cook Children’s delivers a level of expertise that leads to the best results for patients and their families.
“Partnering with Cook Children’s provides our NICU and Pediatric patients with access to more than 240 world-class pediatric specialists,” Cristina explained. “These experts will be able to see the patient, perform a complete assessment and assist our medical staff in planning the multidisciplinary medical care our local children deserve.”
 
Consultations with Cook Children’s are scheduled by a BSA physician. Once the consultation has begun, the specialists are able to fully control the InTouch Lite from any device with internet access.
 
“Physicians can control the movement of the platform, hear the heart and lungs and have private conversations through the headset,” Kimberly Carey, Regional Account Manager for InTouch Health said. “The Lite has a high-resolution camera that physicians can use to zoom in and see patient information in real time.”
 
Director of Pediatrics and Pediatrics ICU, Teri Skelton says the real-time features of the platform allow patients and their families to be treated with the highest quality care available.
 
“Embracing this new technology demonstrates BSA’s commitment to providing the quality care and patient experience our patients deserve.”
 
A variety of diagnoses including cardiology, genetic and neurology can be found using the InTouch Lite’s features.
 
“Utilizing the InTouch Lite’s interactive features allows comprehensive patient assessments to take place within minutes,” Physician in the BSA NICU and Newborn Nursery, Kelly Clements said. “Telemedicine focuses on quality care in the most convenient way possible for the patient. It’s the future of the medical world.”
 
In addition to the InTouch Lite, BSA’s Level III NICU also includes a minimal stimulation room, whole body cooling therapy and the only Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist system in the Panhandle. The expert team in the BSA Pediatric Department includes a Pediatric Intensivist, Dr. Raghuram Nandkishore who has more than 20 years of experience in caring for patients who require chronic care.
“The InTouch Lite is only one example of how BSA excels in the health care industry,” BSA Chief Medical Officer Michael Lamanteer said. “BSA is an organization that embraces new technology and innovations to make the patient experience better.”
 
For more information visit bsahs.org.
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