NewYork-Presbyterian has launched a health innovation institute focused on health IT and telehealth, and backed by tens of millions in funding from philanthropists Rita E. Hauser and Gustave M. Hauser.
The Hausers have given more than $50 million to NewYork-Presbyterian in support of the hospital’s innovation programs in health information technology and telemedicine since 2011, according to NYP officials who made the announcement last week during the launch of The Hauser Institute for Health Innovation. A key focus of the initiative will be expanding telemedicine services deeper into the communities NewYork-Presbyterian serves to provide high-quality, convenient and affordable care with an emphasis on preventive health and wellness, officials noted.
The Hausers’ early generosity led to the creation of NYP OnDemand, NewYork-Presbyterian’s suite of telemedicine services, designed to expand patient access to the hospital’s care. Today, NYP OnDemand, in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, has grown to include more than 46 programs and allowed providers to care for patients during more than 230,000 visits.
NYP OnDemand allows patients to more easily communicate with physicians from a mobile phone, tablet, computer, and even self-service kiosks at select Walgreens and Duane Reade stores throughout New York City. The suite includes Express Care, which has helped to reduce emergency department visit times; digital urgent care, where patients can access emergency medicine physicians through a live video chat; virtual visits, for pre- and post-follow-up appointments with their doctor without traveling to their offices; peer-to-peer consults between physicians; and second opinions, according to officials.
In addition to this program, the Hauser Institute for Health Innovation will aim to support the operations of NewYork-Presbyterian’s other telemedicine programs, including:
Remote patient monitoring, helping physicians monitor patients under their care from a distance, which can reduce the length of hospital stays and preventable re-hospitalizations.
Clinical operations center (CLOC), a remote monitoring system and command center that connects clinical care programs throughout the healthcare system and provides support for the entire system. At CLOC, registered nurses can track physiologic data of patients in the emergency department in real time, as well as monitor the temperature of refrigerators that store lifesaving medicine.
Teleparamedics for high-risk patients who leave the hospital, allowing the emergency management Services team who visit the patients in their homes to connect to the appropriate specialist and coordinate the patient/physician interaction in real-time during the home visit.
“We believe in the importance of harnessing technology to improve people’s lives, and we are delighted to support NewYork-Presbyterian’s efforts to expand access to their world-class care,” said Rita Hauser on behalf of the couple. “NewYork-Presbyterian is using advanced technologies to fundamentally change the way that health care is provided, making it more convenient and accessible to all.”
