SMITH CENTER, Kan. – Smith County Memorial Hospital provides emergency services to approximately 1,300 patients in the area each year. Open 24/7, the ER is equipped to handle any patient that comes through the door. However, access to a second set of eyes and ears can be beneficial in critical cases. The new eCARE Emergency service will provide that extra support to SCMH’s clinicians when needed.
“eCARE Emergency gives us the ability to extend and enhance the level of health care in our community,” Allen Van Driel, CEO of SCMH, said. “It gives us access to the same type of specialists available in larger facilities, enabling us to deliver better care, right here in our community, and keep patients here whenever possible.”
Medical staff will have access to the new service beginning June 24.
At the push of a button, local providers and emergency room staff have immediate, virtual access to a team of physicians and nurses who specialize in emergency medicine.
eCARE Emergency supports patient care in several ways:
• Access to board-certified emergency physicians 24 hours a day
• Connects rural communities to highly trained specialists
• Activation of emergency transport teams as early as possible
• Additional support during multiple emergencies
• Fewer transfers so patients can stay close to home
• Collaborative approach allows local caregivers to focus exclusively on patient care
Avera eCARE offers one of the largest telehealth networks in the United States, supporting more than 380 health centers, clinics, long-term care centers and correctional facilities within a fourteen-state region.
Please go to scmhks.org or call (785) 282-6845 to learn more about health care services at SCMH. To learn more about Avera eCARE, go to www.AveraeCARE.org.