Shenandoah) â Shenandoah Medical Center is the latest recipient of a grant that provides emergency room staff with 24-7 access to a physician through telemedicine.
SMC officials announced Wednesday that the hospital has received a $173,000 grant from the Leona M. And Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust Rural Health Program for a new e-CARE Emergency telemedicine program.
The grant will allow SMC to acquire equipment and training to connect with emergency staff at Avera Health in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to help local providers until an on-call physician can arrive. The system places high-definition cameras and microphones in the SMC ER so that remote physicians can see and hear everything taking place in the room. They can then guide nurses and other state in patient care and also consult with in-person doctors in difficult situations.