Overview
Little River Medical Center (LRMC) in South Carolina faced challenges in ensuring easy healthcare access for children in Horry County schools, especially those with chronic conditions like asthma or diabetes. To address this need, LRMC looked into implementing telehealth services within schools and between its six clinics. After evaluating several options, they chose Capsa Healthcare’s CareLink Nurse Workstation, integrated with the IronBow CLINiC with Poly Codec, to deploy telehealth services.
Challenges in Providing Efficient Healthcare in Schools
- Limited Access to Healthcare: Children in Horry County schools had restricted access to immediate medical care, requiring parents to leave work for doctor visits.
- Chronic Conditions: Students with chronic health conditions were often missing more classes due to their frequent medical appointments.
- Operational Efficiency: There was a need for a solution that would be versatile enough to serve multiple locations without complicating operational and support costs.
Telehealth: The Game-Changer
The chosen solution, Capsa Healthcare’s CareLink Nurse Workstation, provided a robust and secure platform for telehealth services. The workstation was capable of video communication and housed all the necessary telehealth components securely. Additionally, the workstation was integrated with IronBow CLINiC with Poly Codec to facilitate immediate access to healthcare for students.
Results
- Reduced Absenteeism: Students were less likely to miss classes as telehealth services were available directly in the schools.
- Convenience for Parents: Parents no longer needed to take time off from work for doctor visits, as physicians could prescribe medications remotely.
- Versatility: When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, the CareLink workstations were easily repurposed for use in pop-up COVID-19 testing tents.
- Centralized Administration: The CareLink system allowed for centralized control, greatly simplifying administrative work.
Conclusion
The implementation of the CareLink Nurse Workstation has not only improved healthcare access for students but has also provided a versatile and efficient solution for diverse healthcare needs, including emergency responses like COVID-19 testing. This has solidified LRMC’s commitment to delivering quality, compassionate care and reducing operational complexities.
