SAN DIEGO, July 15, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skylight Healthcare Systems, the leading provider of Interactive Patient Care systems, announced today that Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, a member of Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), became the first hospital in the nation to introduce live video connection from patients in their Family Birth Center and Palliative Care Program to family members and friends outside of the hospital. This new feature is a fully integrated add-on to their Skylight ACCESS Interactive Patient Care System called iCareChat™.
Earlier this week, at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center in Gilbert, AZ, where temperatures outside were a scorching 104 degrees F, a new mother delivered a baby girl. Hours later, the new mom was introducing her new bundle of joy to the anxiously awaiting grandparents, who sat in their home in Manchester, England, where outside it was a cold and rainy 61 degrees F. Their home immediately warmed up with smiles and excitement when they got to see their new granddaughter for the very first time.
"My parents were overwhelmed with joy—and in tears—when they saw the baby. It definitely brightened their day," said new mother Laura Ashworth Clay of Gilbert, Arizona. "The system was very easy for my husband and I to use, and we were really happy with the quality. It definitely made our stay more enjoyable and special."
In addition to the Family Birth Center, Mercy Gilbert has incorporated video connections into their Palliative Care program. This new service now allows family members who were not able to be there in person, to be "present" with loved ones at a very important time in their life. Being able to see and talk to a dying loved one can offer a great deal of closure, peace, and comfort to both the patient and family member. Additionally, family members that are in the hospital no longer have to feel that they are all alone without other family support.
"As a Healing Hospital™, Mercy Gilbert has the philosophy that surrounding patients in a loving and comfortable atmosphere will help heal the mind, body and spirit," said Laurie Eberst, president and CEO of Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. "We hope that through this new feature, where patients are able to chat with their friends and family who are unable to visit, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center will become an even more peaceful place to be cared for."
Looking ahead to additional applications for hospital video conferencing, MGMC is already planning to build video connection with patients and physicians, pharmacists providing medication instruction, translation and interpretation services, and links to live classroom sessions for patients with longer stays.
"Sharing our client's vision to greatly improve the patient and family experience, we developed the latest technology to enable patients, families, and the entire care team to spend more time together to support the healing process. By providing patients a higher level of care, we can assist our hospital clients with the goals to generate much greater levels of patient satisfaction," said David Schofield, President and CEO of Skylight Healthcare Systems.
About Mercy Gilbert Medical Center
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center is located at the intersection of Val Vista Drive and Loop 202 (south of Pecos Road and east of Val Vista Drive). Mercy Gilbert Medical Center is a four-story, full-service, acute-care facility with 212 beds. For more information, please visit www.mercygilbert.org or call 480.728.8000. Mercy Gilbert Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). For employment opportunities, please visit www.chwcareers.org/arizona. For information on physician referrals, or community classes and support groups, please contact ResourceLink toll-free at 1.877.728.5414.
About iCareChat
iCareChat enhances the overall patient experience by engaging patients and families through a secure and private connection. It is simple to use and allows the hospital to exceed patient expectations by delivering connections and services from locations inside and outside the medical center. It also can be used for communication sessions with friends and family members from home or in the maternity unit at any time.
iCareChat enables patients to communicate to members of their family care team, in addition to select members of the clinical staff—via a system of strategically located Web cameras linked to televisions in the patient room. With the push a button and within seconds, patients are able to enjoy video chat from their hospital beds, connecting with friends and family around the globe.
About Skylight Healthcare Systems
Founded in 1999, and headquartered in San Diego, CA, Skylight® Healthcare Systems is the industry pioneer in interactive patient care technology. With patient communication and connection as the cornerstone of a safe, comfortable, and clinically optimal hospital experience, the Skylight ACCESS® Interactive Patient System encourages patients and family to actively participate in their health care, improves communication between staff and patient/family members, and can provide a smoother and faster recovery and discharge plan. With their new products—iCarePassport™ and iCareRounds™—Skylight is delivering on its strategic vision of providing hospitals with a robust product set which will allow them to greatly enhance connection and communication along the entire patient care continuum from pre-admission through post-discharge. Hospitals implement Skylight Healthcare Systems to support their ongoing endeavors in improving HCAHPS scores, patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, enhancing operational & service excellence, meeting evolving clinical demands, and delivering on commitments to making a positive difference in the lives of the people they serve.