The cameras were rolling at Eastern Plumas Health Care May 4 as Mark Schweyer discussed the success of telemedicine locally. His remarks will be used in a television commercial, advertisements and training videos for other health care providers. Schweyer, the health care district\u2019s director of clinics and telemedicine, gets animated when he talks about the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the most exciting thing I\u2019ve ever worked on in my career,\u201d the 47-year-old said. \u201cAnd that includes working in the ER\u2019s knife and gun club,\u201d referring to various wounds that need attention in a large city emergency room. <\/p>\n
In 2010 there was only one telemedicine visit at the clinic. \u201cTwo years ago, I started looking for funding,\u201d Schweyer said. With a grant from the Sierra Institute for Community and Environment, the health care district purchased a telemedicine cart. A second cart was procured through U.C. Davis. The district used one in Portola and the other in Indian Valley.<\/p>\n
But the big change came with the California Telehealth Network, which offered subsidized Internet lines. Now, rather than costing $500 per month per site, it costs $62.50. \u201cIt really brought telemedicine to the region,\u201d Schweyer said. In the past seven months, there have been 170 telemedicine visits.<\/p>\n
Telemedicine brings specialists to the area so that residents don\u2019t have to travel. This is particularly important for patients who financially or logistically are unable to travel to see a specialist. It\u2019s also a boon to rural clinics, because the patients stay local. \u201cThe records stay here; the visits stay here,\u201d Schweyer said. <\/p>\n
California Telehealth Network is the organization that is producing the media package. The organization\u2019s mission is to use broadband technology to improve access to the best quality health care in rural and medically underserved communities statewide.
\nThe network is a coalition of health care, technology, government and other stakeholders with the goal of significantly increasing rural health care access.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is really changing the landscape of medicine in rural areas,\u201d Schweyer said.
\nThe process is almost transparent to the patient. He or she visits the clinic and if a specialist is needed, the doctor fills out a referral and the telemedicine coordinator sets up an appointment.<\/p>\n
On the scheduled day, the patient arrives at the clinic and meets with the specialist via video monitor. The specialist already has the patient\u2019s records.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s just as if you were going to a specialist,\u201d Schweyer said. \u201cI want this as simple as possible; it\u2019s not different than if you were seeing a doctor like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Auburn Rittenhouse-Pendergrass is the clinic\u2019s telemedicine coordinator. In addition to scheduling the visits and managing lab tests, she is also present during the visit to check vital signs and assist the doctor. \u201cThe doctor might ask me to use a camera to show a patient\u2019s swelling feet or to look down someone\u2019s throat,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The clinic has access to a variety of specialists from different areas, but is always seeking to expand its relationships. Tom Hayes, the chief executive officer of the health care district, and its board of directors support the telemedicine program and have asked Schweyer to attend their next board meeting to discuss telemedicine. \u201cEverybody has been on board with this,\u201d Schweyer said. <\/p>\n
This article is courtesy of:
\nDebra Moore
\nStaff Writer, Portola Reporter, Feather Publishing
\ndmoore@plumasnews.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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