Van Buren County Hospital’s emergency department receives eCARE emergency funding

Courtesy of the Van Buren County Hospital

In a medical emergency, a quick response from board-certified emergency physicians and critical care nurses can mean the difference between life and death. Van Buren County Hospital will soon have access to these services, thanks to a new eCARE Emergency telemedicine program funded through a grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust Rural Health Program.

The $200,417 grant will allow the facility to acquire equipment and training to connect with Avera Health in Sioux Falls, S.D., where emergency staff will be on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help local medical providers deliver the best possible care in the shortest possible time.

High-definition cameras and microphones will allow the eCARE Emergency virtual team at Avera to both see and hear everything that is taking place in the emergency room. They can guide rural nurses and other providers in patient care until a rural physician arrives. They can also consult with doctors on difficult cases.

'We are committed to delivering the best possible healthcare to our community, and this technology takes a big step toward meeting that commitment,” said Ray Brownsworth, CEO. 'We really appreciate the assistance of the Helmsley Charitable Trust to make this possible.”

The new eCARE Emergency service is expected to be operational by the end of the year. The eCare programs are part of The Helmsley Charitable Trust Rural Healthcare Program's ongoing efforts to improve the lives of rural residents in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. Programs include telehealth services, training, emergency medical care, diagnostics, cardiac care, cancer care and research into innovations that specifically address the challenges of healthcare delivery in Rural America.