King's Daughters Medical Center Serves Rural Patients with Telemedicine

BROOKHAVEN, MISS., June 3, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patients in rural southwestern Mississippi now benefit from access to neurology and pulmonology specialists thanks to a telemedicine partnership with St. Dominic Hospital. Using the REACH Access platform, award-winning King's Daughters Medical Center can now diagnose and treat stroke and lung diseases without transporting the patient to another facility. This will result in shorter treatment windows and will frequently save the patient the added expense and stress of being transported to a different hospital.

"King's Daughters is a nationally-recognized leader in providing outstanding care and patient experiences," said Wendy Barrilleaux, stroke program coordinator at St. Dominic Hospital. "Thanks to telemedicine, King's Daughters can treat pulmonary and stroke patients in their local community, near their families and loved ones."

Like many other parts of the United States, rural Mississippi is underserved by specialty physicians. The state is plagued by high incidence of stroke, which requires immediate attention from a qualified stroke specialist, typically a neurologist. For some types of strokes, timely administration of a clot-busting drug can mean the difference between a healthy life and one with permanent disability. Mississippi also has a high volume of patients who suffer from lung-related illnesses like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

"Innovative medical centers like King's Daughters use REACH Access to make critical time-sensitive decisions for emergency department patients," said Steve McGraw, President and CEO of REACH Health. "Depending on the situation, there may be no time – or no need – to transfer the patient to a larger hospital for evaluation or treatment."

Telemedicine "brings the specialty home" by enabling emergency department patients at King's Daughters to consult with medical specialists without needing to travel or be transported. Emergency department clinicians and consulting physicians use the REACH Access platform to conduct joint examinations and share critical medical data and images. REACH Health was a pioneer in telestroke and now provides one enterprise telemedicine solution for multiple specialties, with pulmonary, psychiatry, cardiology, neurology and ICU applications.

About King's Daughters

King's Daughters Medical Center is a 122-bed licensed hospital located in Brookhaven, MS. Established in 1914 by the Willing Hearts Circle, a charitable organization with a long history of nursing and visiting the sick, King's Daughters Hospital moved to its current location in 1964. The facility's name was changed to King's Daughters Medical Center in July 1998.

King's Daughters' mission is to provide quality health and wellness in a Christian environment by focusing on its core values: passion for knowledge, respect for all individuals, integrity, demonstration of Christian values, excellence in service and stewardship. King's Daughters has achieved numerous patient care accreditations and accolades over the years. Visit http://www.kdmc.org/index.cfm/about-kdmc/awards-and-honors/ for a list of awards.

About REACH Health

REACH Health technology powers many of the nation's most successful telemedicine networks, helping health systems achieve measurable improvements in their clinical, operational and financial performance. REACH Health's enterprise telemedicine software combines real-time audio/video technology with vital patient data, clinical workflow and documentation to overcome the traditional obstacles of time and distance. By securely connecting physicians anytime, anywhere, REACH Health technology enables remote consultations, connects patients with specialists, and supports collaboration by clinical care teams. Physicians and clinicians embrace the ease of use of a single, intuitive platform tailored to multiple specialties. REACH Health pioneered one of the nation's first telestroke programs and remains the innovation leader, providing the most advanced clinical solutions to improve patient access and care. For more information, visit www.reachhealth.com.