Intensivist

There is a shortage of critical care specialists that work in the ICU (Intensivists) across the county, and fewer medical graduates in the specialty are keeping pace with the need. The high demand and short supply, coupled with the expertise required in the field, has driven up the price of hiring a full-time in person team to cover most intensive care units. 

Smaller communities and rural communities that don’t have the population to support specialist physicians locally due to cost, availability, and low volume have an even greater challenge to staff an ICU with experienced intensivists. A telemedicine program is the perfect solution to solve for this growing need. 

• A hybrid model: daytime in person and night by telemedicine, works well for medium to larger size units
• Covering the ICU 100% 24/7 by telemedicine is ideal for Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) where there may only be a hospitalist or community physicians available in-person. 
• Round & Respond models help prepare for potential issues before they become problems, with ongoing support as needed. 
• Having experts wean patients off ventilators as soon as possible when safe to do so helps reduce length of stay and improve overall patient outcomes. 

The ability to reduce transfers and keep the patient local is a win, win, win. The patient stays close to home and connected with their doctor, friends and family. Families and loved ones need not spend time and resources traveling to a tertiary facility miles away while their loved one recovers. The local hospital fills a bed that would otherwise go empty, keeping the place viable and community personnel employed.

Working with hospital staff a tele-intensivist is able to manage patients better than onsite providers without critical care expertise. Our first customer was a CAH in rural Northern CA in 2007. We run their 6 bed ICU 24/7 by telemedicine, elevating the acuity of the unit and reducing the number of patients needing a transfer. With telemedicine support at night, nurses no longer feel like they’re on an island. They are still a customer today!

• Boarded Critical Care Physicians 
• 1,000+ years of combined clinical experience
• Boarded Pulmonologists Available
• Experience with multiple EMRs
• Telemedicine Platform Agnostic  

Of all our supported sites no two programs are exactly the same. Working with clinical leadership, administration, and IT we craft a solution that meets the specific needs of your hospital. Whether your institution is a large teaching hospital, a rural community hospital, or a critical access hospital, we tailor the solution that complements your clinical capabilities while elevating the overall acuity of treatable patients in the ICU. If a procedure is required we partner with the ED, Surgery, or Anesthesia. Our team provides the gambit of critical care services:

• Rapid Response and Code Management
• Early Ventilation Weaning and Sedation Holidays
• Patient Rounding
• Daily Communication with Attending Physicians
• Documentation Directly in Electronic Medical Record
• Transfer Management when Necessary