Austin, TX-September 3, 2009 - Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas and the Seton Brain & Spine Institute, both members of the Seton Family of Hospitals, have officially launched their telemedicine programs for pediatric trauma and stroke assessment and treatment.
Stan Lundrigan, clinical manager of SMCW Emergency Department, demonstrates Seton's Telemedicine program along with Dr. Darryl Camp and Dr. Pat Crocker.
As part of a newly designated Level 1 Trauma network, the Seton Family of Hospitals is using Telemedicine technology to move information, rather than people. It uses computers, cameras, microphones and videoconferencing to transmit resources and expertise of major medical centers to other facilities and allows medical specialists to extend their reach into distant areas.
'With the implementation of the telemedicine program, physicians who specialize in stroke, for example, are able to evaluate and immediately identify patients who could benefit from time-sensitive therapies,' says Darryl Camp, M.D., Medical Director of Neurology, Seton Brain & Spine Institute. Dr. Camp is one of seven stroke specialists who will participate in the Telemedicine program for stroke.
The Telemedicine program based at Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas will provide immediate, expert pediatric trauma resources to a 46 county region. 'Many of these areas have limited pediatric experience with critical illness or injury, so our hope is to improve survival rates among those children with serious injuries,' explains Pat Crocker, Medical Director of Emergency Department, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas.
The Seton Family of Hospitals started working on the Telemedicine program for pediatric trauma and stroke nearly two years ago.
Brian Aldred, M.D., Medical Director of Emergency Department, Seton Medical Center Williamson, says the telemedicine program is an innovative way to bridge older and newer technologies together to improve patient care.
'Implementing telemedicine at Seton Medical Center Williamson brings us one step closer to declaring our intent to become a major trauma center of Williamson County,' says Aldred.
Seton Medical Center Williamson is one of five Seton
facilities implementing the new Telemedicine program. The other
sites include University Medical Center Brackenridge, Dell
Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, Seton Highland
Lakes and Seton Hays County when it opens in October.
Seton is proud to have four hospitals – the only hospitals in Central Texas - that have earned the