New Robot Joins Emergency Room Department
Health care in Louisa is about to get more accessible and more efficient. Three Rivers Medical Center (TRMC) announced today that they are partnering up with St. Mary’s Regional Neuroscience and Stroke Center and have acquired a RP-7 Remote Presence Robotic System.
The program is designed as a partnership with St. Mary’s Medical Center that will create better stroke diagnoses, and allow our patients to remain at our hospital, when appropriate and still have access to the physicians at the Neuroscience Center in Huntington.
“TRMC is committed to providing the best health care to our patients by using the latest medical technology,” said Greg Kiser, CEO. “We are excited to partner with St. Mary’s Regional Neuroscience Center and bring this advance technology to Louisa, KY. This will give our patients access to advanced stroke care, locally.”
The RP-7 ™ Robot (invented, designed and manufactured by InTouch Health, Santa Barbara, California) through the utilization of a secure wireless, broadband, internet connection, can provide physician care to patients in another location. Within moments of a request for medical consultation, a neurologist at St. Mary’s, seated at a computer ControlStation connects via the Internet to the RP-7 Robot located in the TRMC Emergency Room to consult on the patient.
As an example of how all this technology works, if a patient has been admitted to our Emergency Department and the doctor believes the patient is having a stroke and wants to confer with a neurologist at St. Mary’s, using the RP-7 Robot, the neurologist can conduct a remote examination. Through the robot, the neurologist, the ED staff and the patient can all see and hear each other through the use of the robot’s high tech cameras.
One of the most fascinating and useful aspects of the RP-7 Robot is the Virtually There technology. According to In Touch Health’s information, Virtually There technology incorporates a camera with a pan, tilt and zoom features to provide the remote medical professional with maximum visual acuity and flexibility. Because of the wide range of motion and quick response of the camera system, the physician can easily interact with patients. Doctors can also observe vital sign monitors, examine x-ray light boards and fluid bays and zoom in to read a chart or examine a patient’s wound. They can consult with our staff, and capture and share digital images and videos.
And because the Virtually There technology is two-way, our patient, their family and hospital staff can feel connected to the remote Huntington neurologist as well. They can see the doctor, hear them and watch them use the RP-7 to make a diagnosis in the same way they would if the doctor were actually in the room.
Recently the hospital ran a name the robot contest and the name Cere Bell (Sara Bell) was chosen. Cere Bell got her name from the term cerebellum, which is the region of the brain that controls motor function.