CCMH Implements eICU Program

Campbell County Health Implements eICU Program

GILLETTE, WY - Campbell County Health (CCMH) announced today that it has implemented the eICU Program, a partnership with Avera eICU Care. The CCMH eICU Program uses advanced technology, along with the care provided in the Intensive Care Unit to bring constant around-the-clock attention from a team of intensivists (highly trained physicians specializing in caring for critically ill patients), critical care nurses and support staff operating from a remote location. This combination of personal care and technology is proven to save lives and shorten recovery times.

Patient information, including vital signs, medications and test results is sent over high-speed data lines to Avera eICU Care physicians and staff, where it is continuously analyzed by computers and intensivists, helping bring attention to even slight changes in patient conditions and allowing for early intervention before significant problems may occur.

Because local physicians cannot be at the bedside at all times, the CCMH eICU program provides valuable monitoring and assistance when needed. Two ICU rooms are equipped with monitoring equipment, with one additional room capability on a mobile cart.

"The eICU program doesn't take the place of CCMH physicians and nurses," said Deb Tonn, Vice President of Patient Care Services. "What it does is provide an additional level of care and monitoring for our patients, part of our ongoing commitment to continuously improve quality and patient safety."

CCMH received a $1.89 million grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to purchase equipment that connects local physicians with specialists and pharmacists.

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust Rural Healthcare Program began awarding grants in 2009. It funds programs that provide rural healthcare to people in the upper Midwest. The Helmsley Trust has awarded more than $104 million in grants to nonprofit organizations in the region through the Rural Healthcare Program.

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, established in 1999, supports a diverse range of organizations with a major focus on health and medical research, human services, education and conservation. The Trust has announced more than $440 million in grants to charitable organizations since 2004. A total of $10,458,000 in grants has been awarded to organizations in Wyoming.

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