The Challenge
Anyone caring for critically ill patients knows that access to specialists and high-demand providers within hospitals is essential to achieving good outcomes and supporting patients and caregivers. Scheduled and on-demand access to neurologists, infectious disease specialists, hospitalists, intensivists, and psychiatrists is proven to address these goals. However, the workforce crisis is making the job of staffing to need a tough battle.
The Proposal
To address these challenges, Providence has been developing the Providence Virtual Acute Care program over the last 10 years. "Here at Providence, we have been at the forefront of delivering virtual acute care services since the beginning – so we’ve been developing and learning what makes an effective program," said Sherene Schlegel, RN, COO and CNO, Virtual Care and Digital Health at Providence.
Meeting the Challenge
The Providence Virtual Acute Care service has evolved into a highly valuable, comprehensive, and scalable program that is meeting the needs of the health system’s hospitals and other hospitals in the referral networks. There are six core components to the program.
Components
- Providers: The service starts with providers. "We don’t just integrate with Providence, we are Providence," Schlegel explained. "Our service was built by and for our hospitals and referral hospitals, and our providers are Providence employees who meet or exceed our standards for employment and service levels.
- Clinical Quality Programs and Analytics: Staff layer on top of all of this a standards-based quality program that incorporates ongoing monitoring for adherence and reporting against established KPIs – including quality of patient care, programs, and physicians.
- Customized Clinical Design: The hospital-specific clinical design process recognizes the unique service availability, referral preferences, and operational norms of a hospital and optimizes workflows accordingly. The system is deeply integrated into existing workflow, processes, and operations, while adhering to and supporting Providence standards of care, governance models, and mission.
- One-Call-For-All Service: "Our unprecedented ‘one-call-for-all,’ real-time patient support manages immediate action for any hospital requirement or issue," Schlegel explained. "Our Digital Access Center ensures clinicians and stakeholders get the crucial assistance they need to perform at their best.
- Cross-Providence Exam Technology: "We are equipped with high-definition cameras and integrated peripheral devices that allow the facilitation of comprehensive, remote examinations," Schlegel noted. "Our exam hardware and software are standardized across Providence to deliver a price, support, and experience advantage.
- Telemedicine Resource Center: Last, we provide shared services that support our hospitals as they transition toward a virtual care augmented hospital. We provide learning and education opportunities for every level and function, helping the organizations we serve to manage the differences and complexities of telehealth operations.
Results
Virtual care at Providence is proving to be an important component of the health system’s care delivery. Today, the health system has more than 250 virtually enabled acute care clinicians delivering service in more than 100 sites in eight states, and delivers more than a million patient encounters every year.
Advice for Others
"I would emphasize the critical role virtual care plays in mitigating clinician shortages and allowing patients to have access to care regardless of their geographic location," Schlegel said. "Virtual care not only alleviates staffing constraints but also enhances patient outcomes by providing timely access to expert care – and is incredibly meaningful to families who are able to keep their loved ones close to home.
FAQs
Q: What is the goal of the Providence Virtual Acute Care program?
A: The goal is to provide high-quality, mission-based care to patients in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Q: How does the program meet the needs of the health system’s hospitals and other hospitals in the referral networks?
A: The program has six core components, including providers, clinical quality programs and analytics, customized clinical design, one-call-for-all service, cross-Providence exam technology, and telemedicine resource center.
Q: What are the benefits of the program?
A: The program provides timely access to expert care, alleviates staffing constraints, and enhances patient outcomes.
Q: How does the program support patients and caregivers?
A: The program provides access to care regardless of geographic location, allowing patients to keep their loved ones close to home.
Q: What is the future of healthcare, and how is Providence preparing for it?
A: The future of healthcare is flexibility, and Providence is preparing by embracing virtual care and providing learning and education opportunities for every level and function.
