In reviewing ICU performance across the hospitals in our system, it became clear that we aspired to achieve better performance system wide. Better clinical outcomes which included lowering mortality rates, help for our doctors and nurses so they felt better supported in their efforts, and improved data capture that would enable us to improve best practice compliance. Each of these were critical steps forward; however, the path to achieve them was not as clear. As the Director of Tele-ICU for our system, I couldn’t simply direct each hospital to hire more specialists and intensify data capture.

Tele-ICU care provided the means to offer support to each of our hospitals to help them achieve our three-fold goal. Since a one-size-fits–all approach wouldn’t work, we agreed to focus on common objectives – and that didn’t mean everyone should adopt the same staffing approaches or common workflows.

Partnering with Hicuity Health gave us the means to achieve system-wide goals with hospital-specific implementation. Their 24/7 care provides the support our hospitals need to deliver excellent round-the-clock care regardless of their case load or the competing demands challenging our bedside teams. Working with our Hicuity Health Medical Director and getting to know their doctors and nurses in action, our clinical teams feel like they have an ever-present care partner.  Quarterly reviews anchored by APACHE metrics allow us to monitor performance and look for evidence-based opportunities to improve. This has resulted in improvements in clinical outcomes and also significant progress in achieving best practices.

As a care leader for our multiple hospitals, it is my goal to mitigate variability in patient care within our system while also providing our staff with the best tools to ensure consistency and excellence. Partnering with Hicuity Health for tele-ICU care has supported us so that we can achieve these goals.