Allegheny Health Network Advances Virtual Critical Care Service with Launch of New, In-House ‘TeleICU’ Program

Centralized, AHN-intensivist led care team provides round-the-clock support to ICU bedside caregivers at network’s community-based hospitals

TeleICU B-roll & Interviews: https://f.io/A6JTBEgc

PITTSBURGH – Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and Highmark Health announced today the launch of a new virtual intensive care solution which combines innovative telehealth technology and the clinical expertise of AHN intensivists for centralized, 24/7 monitoring and management of critically ill patients at six of the network’s hospitals across western Pennsylvania.

The TeleICU program virtually connects a centrally located team of AHN board-certified critical care physicians, nurses and data assistants with bedside hospitalists and nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) at AHN’s Allegheny Valley Hospital, Canonsburg Hospital, Grove City Hospital, Jefferson Hospital and Wexford Hospital in the Greater Pittsburgh region, and Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, Pa.

The program utilizes the FDA-approved eCareManager telehealth software platform from Philips to support continuous ICU monitoring through an infrastructure of real-time monitors, electronic medical records and two-way, audio-visual conferencing. Powered by advanced clinical algorithms, eCareManager synthesizes and translates patient data into meaningful information which supports decision-making among the care teams and prompts rapid interventions for at-risk patients.

Health systems across the country have increasingly adopted virtual ICU models to supplement care at smaller hospitals with 24/7 intensivist coverage, while providing more efficient and effective care, according to Tariq Cheema, MD, division chief of pulmonary, critical care, sleep and allergy medicine at AHN. The division is part of the AHN Medicine Institute. 

AHN launched its first virtual ICU program with a provider partner in 2019. This program proved to be a valuable resource for the network and patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting response and care planning.

“The extra layer of care afforded by our virtual ICU model has provided clinicians across AHN with unprecedented support in the management of critically ill patients, while also enabling patients to more comfortably stay at hospitals closer to home,” said Dr. Cheema. “With the launch of TeleICU, we are pleased to transition our virtual ICU service fully in-house, extending the expertise of our own intensivists across the network and further enhancing the quality of care that we provide.”

Studies have shown that patients receiving telemedicine ICU services may have decreased mortality rates and may be discharged from the hospital sooner than patients who receive traditional ICU care without round-the-clock, onsite intensivist care.

Following a study of 154,000 ICU patients, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic reported in 2021 that patients who received ICU telemedicine were 18% less likely to die and were released from the hospital an average of two days sooner.

The TeleICU command center is located at 4 Allegheny Center (4AC) on Pittsburgh’s Northside nearby AHN Allegheny General Hospital. It is accompanied by other AHN virtual care programs hosted at the facility such as the ‘Digital Nursing Program’ in which digital nurses partner with bedside nurses to interact with patients; and ‘Virtual Sitter’ which utilizes remote video monitoring of hospitalized patients who are identified as being at-risk of self-injury.

Also based at 4AC is the ‘One-Call Center’ which provides referring physicians with a 24/7 phone line to request a physician referral, emergency admissions and inter-facility patient transfers; and ‘AHN Care Connect’ which manages the 412.DOCTORS line to help patients schedule appointments and get the care they need.

“This facility has emerged as a virtual health hub that is host to some of the most advanced technologies and tools which support our caregivers and staff in delivering high-quality patient care, helping to improve outcomes and enhance the overall health care experience for both patients and their caregivers,” said Ashis Barad, MD, pediatric gastroenterologist and AHN’s chief digital information officer.

TeleICU at AHN is part of Highmark Health’s Living Health strategy aimed at leveraging digital technology, including virtual care options and remote medical devices, to bring convenient, high quality health support and care to people where and when they need it.

“While health systems nationwide continue to face staffing shortages and budget constraints, our virtual health strategy is designed in part to help providers overcome these persistent challenges while delivering patient-centered, value-driven care,” said Tony Farah, MD, executive vice president, chief medical and clinical transformation officer, Highmark Health. “The collaborative launch of TeleICU with AHN as the pacesetter marks yet another important milestone along our journey to transform health care.”

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