TEWSKBURY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Covenant Health, a regional Catholic health delivery network and leader in values-based, not-for-profit healthcare, has introduced telemedicine technology at four of its skilled nursing facilities in New England, officials announced today.
TripleCare, a telemedicine platform designed for skilled nursing facilities (SNF), is enhancing care delivery and reducing hospital admissions at Covenant skilled nursing facilities in Maine (St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion-Lewiston) and the Greater Boston area (Mary Immaculate-Lawrence, St. Joseph Manor-Brockton and Maristhill-Waltham).
TripleCare’s virtual technology and services enables Covenant’s on-site nurses to connect seamlessly with highly-trained physicians to diagnose and treat patients during hours when physicians are typically not on site. Evenings, weekends and holidays are the times when hospital transfers most often occur. The virtual bedside visits allow TripleCare physicians to discern efficiently if patients need to be transported or can be treated in place.
Since early September when St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion in Lewiston, Maine began using TripleCare, more than 20 virtual visits to diagnose and treat patients have been performed. Beyond enhancing patient outcomes, TripleCare has proven to be an excellent education opportunity for Covenant nurses.
“TripleCare is an excellent tool for our nurses to implement,” said Sarah Trafford, nurse manager of the Transitional Rehab Units & Specialty Care Suites at St. Mary’s. “Our nurses are learning from TripleCare doctors as they work closely to assist patients and assess their conditions. Our nurses are able to take this training and knowledge and apply it to other relevant situations occurring in our SNFs.”
As the first healthcare provider in Maine to introduce the TripleCare telemedicine services in a SNF – and one of the early adopters in Massachusetts -- Covenant is committed to investing in technology to improve care delivery for its employees and residents.
“We are keenly focused on ensuring our residents always receive high-quality, compassionate and affordable care,” said Gerard J. Foley, senior vice president and president for Post-Acute Care at Covenant Health. “Since introducing TripleCare, we’ve been able to identify, diagnose and treat conditions that otherwise would have likely resulted in a trip to the E.R. or a hospital stay.”
“By implementing telemedicine across many of its skilled nursing facilities, Covenant is clearly demonstrating it is at the forefront of bringing cutting-edge, quality healthcare to the patients and the communities it serves. Covenant is embracing new opportunities to better care for their patients by ensuring uninterrupted physician coverage, treating patients in place and attempting to avoid hospital transfers as well as control costs. This is sheer evidence of its commitment to patient care and its ability to successfully navigate today’s changing healthcare landscape,” said Mary Jo Gorman, TripleCare’s chief executive officer.
About Covenant Health
Covenant Health is a values-based, Catholic not-for-profit healthcare system headquartered in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. The system was established in 1983 by the Sisters of Charity of Montreal to direct, support and conduct their healthcare, elder care and social service systems throughout the United States. Today, Covenant Health serves as sponsor, governance organization and manager of multiple health and elder-care-related organizations throughout New England.
About TripleCare
New York, N.Y.-based TripleCare is a national provider of telemedicine-based healthcare services to skilled nursing facilities. As an experienced telemedicine provider bringing care to patients since 2011, TripleCare is contracted with more than 60 skilled nursing facilities across 11 states. TripleCare’s proven implementation and service approach benefits patients, families, providers and SNFs.
