Virtual ICU Receives One of the Top 10 Office of Nursing Services Innovations Awards
DENVER - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS) Virtual Intensive Care Unit (vICU) has been selected as one of the Top 10 VA Office of Nursing Services Innovations Awards for 2011.
Several entries were submitted from across the Nation utilizing this year's theme, Achieving Patient-Driven Care through Highly Functioning Teams. All submissions described creative and valuable programs or initiatives led by VA nurses. However, the ECHCS submission was among the Top 10 featured as "best of the best".
The Denver VA Medical Center vICU telehealth program provides outlying VA facilities immediate access to consults by ICU providers at the Denver VAMC through telemedicine. Through this program, a patient at a rural location can be seen by the ICU staff at the Denver VA for immediate evaluation of a potentially serious medical issue. The program is available to rural communities throughout the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 which includes Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.
Developed as part of VA's rural health initiative, the model is extremely unique because it is nurse driven. A critical care certified nurse (CCRN) manages the system and is available 24/7 for immediate rapid response collaboration, consultation, and support.
The program, the first of its kind in the VA system, has exceeded expectations for Carrie Hawkins, the vICU coordinator and assistant nurse manager of critical care at the Denver VAMC. "Our model is very proactive," said Hawkins, RN, BSN, CCRN, "It's all about supporting our colleagues around VISN 19 and giving them the tools they need to succeed while providing care to the Veteran. We are enhancing care at the rural sites and strengthening and unifying multi-disciplinary team building across all of VISN 19."
The award is confirmation of the success of the program for the providers who operate it and for the rural Veterans who now have access to top quality critical care.
