As opposed to traveling out of town to receive sub-specialized care, the Tele-ICU allows patients to receive vital care closer to home.The University of Alabama at Birmingham, in collaboration with Whitfield Regional Hospital, recently surpassed 500 admissions to the UAB Tele-Intensive Care Unit. This milestone highlights the impact of collaboration and emphasizes the importance of access to sub-specialized care and clinicians.
In June of 2024, UAB partnered with Whitfield Regional Hospital to launch the first UAB Tele-ICU expanded hospital. This expansion provides their staff and patients with access to 24-hour Tele-ICU support, including a team of experienced ICU nurses and tele-intensivists stationed at UAB Hospital.
“The UAB eMedicine Critical Care team works closely with Whitfield to enhance care in the Whitfield ICU,” said Steve Stigler, M.D., medical director of UAB eMedicine Critical Care. “This partnership is a perfect example of the health care system’s working well — providing critical care expertise to support the Whitfield nurses and doctors and keep patients closer to home.”
Through collaborations with hospitals like Whitfield Regional, the UAB critical care telemedicine program showcases the value placed on patients’ access to critical care specialists and evidence-based care.
“Watching the impact this collaboration has had on the lives of patients and families in our area is the high point of my career,” said Doug Brewer, CEO of Whitfield Regional Hospital. “By providing care locally, we are able to begin impacting the long-term and cyclical effects of chronic care issues.”
Brewer says for decades the area has had some of the highest incidence rates of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, hypertension and congestive heart failure, in the nation. This program allows for a comprehensive continuum of care for these patients while beginning to educate family members and loved ones on how to avoid these issues in the future. This is making a difference in the health of the community, both at the present time, and as the data is beginning to show, it is having an impact on incidence rates over the longer term.
“This signifies a change in how health care is being accessed now,” said Paul Malito, director of Nursing Services with UAB eMedicine. “We no longer require all patients to travel to large cities or large medical institutions to receive a higher level of care or specialty care. We are bringing that care to them and to their communities.”
Over the past year, the strength of the Whitfield Regional Hospital team has grown due to the increased access to support and resources, allowing for the fostering of an environment where health care professionals and clinicians can continue to hone and expand their skill sets to provide more advanced levels of care.
“I am consistently impressed with how much the Whitfield front-line medical staff and leadership work to provide care for their community,” Stigler said. “We are fortunate to work with a group of thoughtful, hardworking professionals.”
Whitfield’s eight-bed ICU is monitored remotely 24/7 by the UAB Tele-ICU team to help support the bedside staff. Each room is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including high-definition cameras, microphones and speakers that are hardwired into the room. The Tele-ICU uses computer intelligence systems that allow UAB nurses to monitor a patient’s condition around the clock and alert the patient’s bedside team to any changes that may require additional care from the hospitalists or remote ICU intensivists.
“Reaching our 500th admission at Whitfield Regional Hospital underscores what’s possible when innovation meets mission,” said Charlie Angel, director of Business Operations with UAB eMedicine. “As we continue to extend care beyond UAB’s four walls, we’re helping move the needle toward a healthier, more connected Alabama.”