World's First Facility Dedicated to Telehealth
Described as a “hospital without beds,” the Virtual Care Center is home to a large medical team, but no patients. Using highly sensitive two-way cameras, online-enabled instruments and real-time vital signs, clinicians “see” patients where they are. That may be in one of Mercy’s traditional hospitals, a physician office or in some cases, the patient’s home.
The new four-story facility is the nerve center for telehealth programs, including:
vICU – Launched in 2006, it’s the largest single-hub electronic intensive care unit (ICU) in the nation. Doctors and nurses monitor patients’ vital signs and provide a second set of eyes to bedside caregivers in 30 ICUs across five states.
vStroke – Many community emergency departments (EDs) across the country don’t have a neurologist onsite. With Mercy’s telestroke program, patients who come to the ED with symptoms of a stroke can be seen immediately by a neurologist via a two-way audio and video connection.
vHospitalists – A team of doctors is dedicated to seeing patients within the hospital around-the-clock using virtual care technology. They can order needed tests or read results, resulting in quicker care.
vEngagement – Mercy provides continuous monitoring for more than 3,800 patients, intervening quickly when needed. This reduces the patients’ need for hospitalization and helps them live independently longer.
Mercy’s Virtual Care Center is also designed to be a workspace for developing innovations in patient care, plus training and product testing.
Learn more about the building’s innovative and thoughtful design – inside and out.