South Dakota Department of Health Awards $1.36 Million: Avel eCare Emergency Telemedicine Expands to Rural Areas Statewide
Sioux Falls-based virtual care provider Avel eCare announced on October 22 that it has received a $1,360,983 grant from the South Dakota Department of Health's Rural Health Transformation Program to expand its 'Telemedicine in Motion' emergency telemedicine program statewide. The funds will support hardware and technology upgrades for second-generation telemedicine technology, annual licensing and network connectivity, warranties and implementation and installation at participating emergency units; the final scope, budget and delivery timeline await a formal agreement.
The program lets rural ambulance crews, at the scene and en route, connect in real time by two-way audio and video with experienced emergency physicians, nurses and care providers — effectively moving the emergency room 'onto' the ambulance. Official data show the program has completed nearly 2,500 encounters to date, with a median duration of 22 minutes and a median patient age of 60, covering rural, remote and frontier areas statewide. Virtual emergency physicians can assist with real-time documentation, ECG review, care coordination and helicopter dispatch, and help decide the most appropriate transport destination.
Stephanie Dame, Mobridge ambulance director and registered nurse, said the three-way calls let the emergency room prepare in advance for incoming patients, 'which helps a lot in improving patient outcomes.' Becky VandeKieft, Avel eCare's vice president of emergency and EMS services, said rural responders often feel 'alone in the back of the ambulance,' and the virtual connection provides 'a second set of eyes and a second opinion.' The grant is funded entirely by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Rural Health Transformation Program.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 苏福尔斯 Falls Park 瀑布与市区 / Falls Park and downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota — Maxpower2727, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
