1/6/2005 12:19:00 PM
To: National and Regional Desks, Health Reporter
Contact: Chris McGahee of Health First, 321-434-4364 or http://releases.usnewswire.com/redir.asp?ReleaseID=41312&Link=mailto:chris.mcgahee@health-first.org
ROCKLEDGE, Fla., Jan. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Health First VitalWatch, a
computer-based intensive care monitoring system, is the first electronic
intensive care unit, or eICU (r) program, in the southeastern United
States, and only the eighth operating system in the U.S.
"The eICU program adds an extra level of monitoring, 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, to all 62 intensive care unit (ICU) beds in all three
of our medical centers," said James Shaffer, MD, eICU medical director.
Monitoring patients at Cape Canaveral Hospital, Holmes Regional Medical
Center and Palm Bay Community Hospital, along Central Florida's east
coast, the eICU concept was pioneered by VISICU, a Maryland based company
formed by two nationally recognized critical care physicians from Johns
Hopkins Hospital. Studies have shown critical care physicians, known as
intensivists, can reduce patient complications that lead to a double-digit
decrease in the ICU death rate. However, intensivists are in short supply
with only 6,000 in the entire nation, enough to cover just 13 percent of
ICU beds.
The Health First VitalWatch team of physicians and critical care nurses
monitor all Health First ICU patients around the clock, using VISICU's
sophisticated computer technology and evidence-based care guidelines
designed to support proactive and preventive care. Real time data is sent
directly from patient rooms to the clinical operations room located at
Health First's administrative offices in Rockledge, Fla. Cameras and
microphones are also in each patient room for the team of physicians and
critical care nurses to make "virtual rounds."
The entire system has been designed to ensure patient privacy and data
security. VitalWatch intensivists can coordinate patient care based on a
pre-selected medical plan determined by the patient's personal physician,
with levels ranging from monitoring only to medical intervention directed
by a VitalWatch eICU intensivist.
A virtual tour and video of the VitalWatch program is available online
at http://releases.usnewswire.com/redir.asp?ReleaseID=41312&Link=http://www.health-first.org.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Media tours, b-roll, and print quality stills are
available of the VitalWatch system in action. Contact Chris McGahee,
Health First project specialist, at 321-434-4339 or via e-mail at http://releases.usnewswire.com/redir.asp?ReleaseID=41312&Link=mailto:chris.mcgahee@health-first.org.
The eICU (r) is a registered trademark of VISICU, Inc.
http://www.usnewswire.com/
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/© 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/