Royal Philips Electronics is expanding access to critical care support in rural communities with the eICU Program from Philips VISICU.

Rural hospitals from across the country are collaborating with larger tertiary care facilities and independent critical care monitoring providers to bring eICU telehealth services and support to their local rural communities, according to Philips.

The Netherlands-based health IT company stated that the following hospitals have recently taken the initiative to partner with eICU service providers to increase patients’ access to critical care specialists in their local communities:

• Grinnell Regional Medical Center (Grinnell, Iowa) with Mercy Health Network - Mercy eICU Connect (Des Moines, Iowa);
• Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center (Kodiak, Alaska) with Providence Alaska Medical Center - Providence eICU (Anchorage, Alaska); and
• Union Hospital (Clinton, Ind.) with Advanced ICU Care (St. Louis, Mo.)

Access to eICU services is making it easier for these hospitals to attract and retain physicians and nurses, Philips added. Since implementing the eICU Program through Advanced ICU Care, Union Hospital has reduced ICU length of stay by 26 percent, allowing for an 18 percent increase in incentive care unit admissions, reported Philips.