Lebanon, NH – Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health (D-HH), the only academic health system in New Hampshire that serves nearly 2 million patients across northern New England, and West Health, a family of non- for-profit and non-profit working to reduce health care costs to successfully grow older, provide certified geriatric emergency care and, for the first time, provide specialized telehealth services to older adults in the department from an accredited emergency department. The north of Northern England is home to one of the fastest growing populations in the country.
D-HH and West Health announced today the provision of telemedicine services and geriatric emergency department (GED) training, education and other facilities to four rural hospitals in a two-tier hub and speak approach. . The first two hospitals to receive telemedicine support from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) are Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, and Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center in Windsor, VT, are both members of the D-HH system. Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont, NH, and Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, VT, will be progressed in phase two. All four talking sites will have access to additional telehealth services provided by DHMC with an emphasis on geriatric nursing, transition care management, and support from on-call geriatricians. These new partnerships will allow the four hospitals to earn national accreditation as Level 2 GEDs from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
“Our location in the Upper Valley places us right between New Hampshire and Vermont, which has two of the fastest-growing numbers of the 50 states,” said Michael Lynch, MD, CEO Medical at Alice Peck Day. “The COVID-19 pandemic has severely reduced the need for quality telemedicine services and emergency access hospitals more than ever, especially for the elderly who may have difficulty accessing doctor appointments or to an emergency hospital. Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital is proud to be part of D-HH and Western Health ‘s efforts to improve access for this vulnerable population. ”
The initiative is the latest in a three-year 2019 research collaboration between Western Health and D-HH, which also includes the creation of the first Level 1 side-certified rural GED. inside DHMC. It is expected to be completed in early 2021. Nearly 200 hospitals have received GED credit in the US; nationally, only 12 hospitals have achieved Level 1 accreditation, all of which are in addition to DHMC in urban areas.
“The ability to offer GED services and the telehealth option to our patients is a huge asset, and it sets us up and other ‘talking’ sites as well as other small hospitals in our area,” said Joseph Perras , MD, Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer at Mt. Ascutney. “We want our patients, especially the elderly, to know that they do not have to travel outside their community to receive quality care. is designed according to their needs. The inclusion of Mt. Ascutney in the D-HH and GED West Health program is critical to our efforts to serve the aging population of the community. “
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 46 million elderly people live in the United States with approximately 1 in 5 living in rural areas where access to health care and transportation may be limited . Older adults make up about 20% of emergency department visits and are more likely to have a number of chronic illnesses and suffer from mental issues, social isolation, loneliness, poverty and food insecurity than their younger peers .
“Geriatric emergency departments promote best clinical practice for older adults, create a more positive and sensitive physical environment and help improve health outcomes, better coordinate care, and reducing costs, “said Shelley Lyford, president and chief executive officer of Western Health.” We are delighted to be working with Dartmouth-Hitchcock to expand its reach to rural hospitals and to empower geriatric and telemedicine emergency care. to more patients across the region. ”
“We are in a unique position at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, as there are large numbers of older adults in the two states we serve,” said Scott Rodi, MD, chair of Emergency Medicine at DHMC. “When we partnered with West Health to create our GED program, we knew that working with emergency access hospitals in our area would be a key way of delivering the best, most comprehensive care to the community. this population. We are proud to distribute our first two. ‘Talk’ sites at our affiliated hospitals Mt. Ascutney and Alice Peck Day are in phase one, and are looking forward to working with Valley Regional and Gifford in phase two. “
The lessons learned from these collaborations with D-HH and West Health will test the effectiveness of using telemedicine to extend geriatric emergency care to other rural hospitals across the country.
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About Dartmouth-Hitchcock health: DARTMOUTH-HITCHCOCK HEALTH (D-HH), the only academic health system in New Hampshire and the largest private employer in the state, serves a population of 1.9 million across the North of England. DH accesses more than 2,400 providers in almost every medical field, delivering care at its renowned hospital, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. DHMC was named in 2019 as the # 1 hospital in New Hampshire by US News and World Report, and recognized for high performance in 13 specialties and clinical procedures. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health also includes the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, one of only 51 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country; Dartmouth-Hitchcock Children’s Hospital, the only children’s hospital in the state; affiliated member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, and New London, NH, and Windsor, VT, and Visiting Nurses and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and 24 Dartmouth-Hitchcock clinics that provide mobile services throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. The DH system trains nearly 400 residents and relatives each year, and conducts world-class research, in partnership with the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and the VA White River Junction Medical Center in White River Junction, VT.
About Western Health and Western Health Institute: Fully funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West, West Health is a family of non-profit and non-profit organizations comprising the Gary and Mary West Foundation and the Gary and Mary West Institute of Health in San Diego, and the Gary and Mary West Center for Health Policy in Washington, DC Health West is dedicated to reducing health care costs to allow seniors to successfully exercise age with access to high-quality health services and support -affordable price that preserves and protects the dignity, quality of life and independence. Learn more at westhealth.org and follow @westhealth.
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