Mercy to open $680M virtual care center
Mercy, a health system covering four Midwestern states, is planning to open a virtual care center near its headquarters in Chesterfield, Mo.
The $90 million center is expected to open in the spring of 2014 and will be staffed by hundreds of doctors and nurses linked electronically to Mercy hospitals, clinics and patient homes via telemedicine technology. Mercy serves more than three million patients a year through its 30 hospitals and more than 200 outpatient facilities. Mercy is investing $590 million in technology to get the virtual care center online.
“This center is not an alternative to how we care for our patients; rather it further extends specialized healthcare services to all of our Mercy communities,” said Tom Hale, MD, PhD, executive medical director of Mercy’s Center for Innovative Care.
The virtual care center will house Mercy’s existing and future telehealth programs, including telestroke, teleradiology, telepathology, remote disease management, primary care support and SafeWatch, an electronic intensive care unit in which doctors monitor more than 400 beds at 10 hospitals across the four-state area from a St. Louis hub.
The $90 million center is expected to open in the spring of 2014 and will be staffed by hundreds of doctors and nurses linked electronically to Mercy hospitals, clinics and patient homes via telemedicine technology. Mercy serves more than three million patients a year through its 30 hospitals and more than 200 outpatient facilities. Mercy is investing $590 million in technology to get the virtual care center online.
“This center is not an alternative to how we care for our patients; rather it further extends specialized healthcare services to all of our Mercy communities,” said Tom Hale, MD, PhD, executive medical director of Mercy’s Center for Innovative Care.
The virtual care center will house Mercy’s existing and future telehealth programs, including telestroke, teleradiology, telepathology, remote disease management, primary care support and SafeWatch, an electronic intensive care unit in which doctors monitor more than 400 beds at 10 hospitals across the four-state area from a St. Louis hub.
Beth Walsh, Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.