Telemedicine

Sometimes an additional health expert is beneficial to review a patient’s health status. Fortunately, consultation with additional healthcare specialists is readily available through telemedicine services, allowing a health professional to see and converse with the patient without either needing to travel.

Access to telemedicine technology is available in all inpatient rooms at Spencer Hospital, and also in the Birth Center nursery and the Emergency Department.

Two of the patient rooms in the Intensive Care Unit are wired for e-ICU, which provides 24-hour, around the clock access to board certified internal medicine specialists at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls who are trained in the management of critically ill patients.  

Outpatient Telemedicine Appointments

Outpatient telemedicine services are provided through Spencer Hospital, allowing patients who need to connect with a remote specialist to stay close to home for their appointment. Telemedicine technology provides secure, two-way visual communication between patient and physician. All telemedicine consultations are facilitated by specially trained registered nurses who assist with the patient’s clinical exam. The high quality camera enables the physician to zoom in for close examination and assessment of a patient’s condition.

Telehealth Services

The same system is also used for telehealth education, connecting health care professionals with experts across the country. Telehealth can connect professionals to national speakers, eliminating unnecessary travel time and added expense, while providing health professionals access to continuing education.