WAYNE – Earlier this week Providence Medical Center announced they were awarded funding for services that will allow a quick response for board-certified emergency physicians and critical care nurses in case of a medical emergency.
According to a release from PMC on Tuesday, September 16, thanks to a grant in the amount of $189,602 from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust Rural Health Program will assist for eCare Emergency services.
The telemedicine program will allow the facility to acquire equipment and training to connect with Avera Health in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. There, emergency staff will be on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help local medical providers deliver the best possible care in the shortest possible time.
High-definition cameras and microphones will allow the eCARE Emergency virtual team at Avera to both see and hear everything that is taking place in the emergency room. They can guide rural nurses and other providers in patient care until a rural physician arrives while also consulting with doctors on difficult cases.
The new eCARE Emergency service is expected to be operational by the end of October.
This type of hub-and-spoke health delivery, pioneered by Avera and Helmsley, is also being used to bring pharmacy services and intensive care specialty access to rural hospitals and patients across the seven-state region.
The eCare programs are part of The Helmsley Charitable Trust Rural Healthcare Program’s ongoing efforts to improve the lives of rural residents in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. Programs include telehealth services, training, emergency medical care, diagnostics, cardiac care, cancer care and research into innovations that specifically address the challenges of healthcare delivery in Rural America.
Also, on Wednesday PMC posted on their Facebook page that Arnie’s Ford presented a check for $2,000. The Drive 4 UR Community event was held in August and the fundraising efforts were used for a new ambulance. Providence Medical Center appreciates all who came out to support them by taking a test drive.