The Critical Care Unit of White County Medical Center will now offer more advanced care for critically-ill patients through eICU®. The eICU®, or electronic Intensive Care Unit, is a two-way video monitoring system that allows patients to immediately access physicians and nurses. With the push of a doorbell-like button, physicians and nurses in the WCMC Critical Care Unit (CCU) are instantly joined at their patient’s bedside by the eICU® care Services medical team provided through Baptist Health.
WCMC is working with Baptist Health eICU® care Services to provide patients with an additional team of critical care specialists who will help watch over them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“We continually strive to provide the highest quality of care possible for all of our patients,” said WCMC Vice President of Patient Care Services LaDonna Johnston. “One way to do that would be to have a physician standing at the patient’s bedside at all times; however, that is not physically possible. This eICU service is an excellent solution for our critical care patients. At the touch of a button, our CCU nurses have access to a physician that has direct eye contact with our patient.”
White County Medical Center Hospitalist, Dr. David Covey said he is very excited about WCMC adapting the new eICU technology.
“I’m excited about this innovation and I think it is a step up for our community,” Covey said. “This really allows us to give the best quality care possible to our patients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and will add overall improvement to our quality care for CCU patients. In addition to our physicians and nurses on staff at White County Medical Center, patients will be able receive immediate access to physicians and nurses and by using the eICU®, we can offer patients a larger team approach with specialists from Searcy and Little Rock.”
Six rooms in the WCMC Critical Care Unit are equipped with the eICU technology with one mobile unit that can be moved around the unit when needed. Each room is outfitted with a camera, microphone and speaker that allow nurses at the bedside to communicate with the eICU team at the control center via two-way video. Monitoring sensors that measure the patients’ vital signs enable the eICU team to detect even the slightest change in the patient’s condition.
“This powerful eICU technology allows medical data and moment-by-moment information about the patient in our Critical Care Unit to be seen by the eICU staff in Little Rock,” said Vicki Dahlem, WCMC Director of the Critical Care Unit. “This specialized intensive care system serves to provide additional support to ensure the best possible care for our critically-ill patients. The eICU is staffed with Intensivists and critical care nurses around the clock; Intensivists are physicians who are board-certified in Critical Care Medicine. We are very excited to be able to add this eICU technology, Intensivists and Critical Care Nurses to the Critical Care Unit here at WCMC.”
ABOUT WHITE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER
As the leading healthcare provider in a six-county area, White County Medical Center associates strive to improve the quality of health and well-being for the communities it serves through compassionate care. White County Medical Center is the largest employer in a six-county area with more than 1,750 associates. The facility has a combined total of 438 licensed beds and a medical staff of 150 physicians that specialize in various areas of healthcare.
In addition to the North and South Campuses, White County Medical Center includes Family Practice Associates, Orthopaedic and Spine Center of Central Arkansas, Searcy Medical Center and Searcy Medical Center – West Clinic, Westside Family Medical Clinic, WCMC Cardiology Clinic and White County Oncology.
