2011 Archive

Telenephrology and Internal Medicine at UHC

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Created on Friday, 25 November 2011 09:48

Union Hospital's Richard G. Lugar Center for Rural Health has once again expanded its telehealth program. Thanks to a grant from HRSA's Office for The Advancement of Telehealth (OAT), the Lugar Center has partnered with Union Hospital Clinton and Internal Medicine and Nephrology Inc. to establish the program.

Manish Gera, M.D., and Kumar Gaurav, M.D., are now providing nephrology and internal medicine services to inpatients at UHC through telemedicine. Patients in the hospital can be referred to the kidney specialist through a live interactive video for acute renal failure, chronic renal failure, high blood pressure and electrolyte disturbances.

The program will save many patients both time and money by treating cases that would normally require transfer to another facility.

"Patients often ask to stay here in the hospital close to home" said Darren Brucken, M.D., UHC Hospitalist. "Telemedicine offers a solution to bring the care of the specialist to the patients' bedside".

Telemedicine services are an integrated part of patient care at UHC. Nursing staff are trained and competent to perform bedside telemedicine consults including telemental health, telecardiology and telepulmonology.