MUSC & Advanced ICU Care® announce new ICU telemedicine model

Partnership to improve patient care, support community hospitals statewide

Heather Woolwine, 843-792-7669orStephen Lennartz, 314-514-6094

and the have launched a first-of-its-kind telemedicine partnership, creating a new model of providing ICU care to patients in South Carolina. This partnership with the nation’s largest tele-intensive care unit (ICU) provider was made possible in part by the state of South Carolina, which recently provided a $12 million grant to MUSC for telemedicine services, including tele-ICU services. This funding will support the adoption of tele-ICU care to community and rural hospitals, helping to change what’s possible for South Carolina’s critically ill patients.

“With a tele-ICU, patients have immediate contact with intensivists—board-certified, critical care physicians who have received specialized training in the care of ICU patients. For a patient in critical condition this access can be the difference between life and death. This partnership will allow us to deliver better care in our local communities in the most cost effective way,” said Pat Cawley, M.D., MUSC Executive Director/CEO and Vice President for Clinical Operations. “Partnering with Advanced ICU Care gives us a new way to improve our state’s health and we are grateful to the South Carolina legislature for their support of telemedicine.”

The public-private partnership aims to provide the same standard of care for hospitals across South Carolina that is available in leading national hospitals, such as MUSC, by providing access via telemedicine to intensivist physicians, including 24/7 monitoring for the nation’s most critical patients. The increased access to MUSC’s nationally recognized quality, innovation and expertise will reduce transfers and improve patient outcomes, enabling patients to stay close to home and keep their healthcare local.

“By working with MUSC, we are offering a new solution to the current ICU crisis seen in South Carolina and across the U.S.,” said Mary Jo Gorman, M.D., CEO of Advanced ICU Care. “With a tele-ICU, patients have increased access to best-in-class care which will reduce transfers and improve patient outcomes, enabling patients to stay close to home—and keeping healthcare local.”

Advanced ICU Care, the largest private provider of tele-ICU services, has a proven track record of reducing the number of patient transfers with its partner hospitals, which allows these hospitals to keep patients closer to their families and home. Programs based on the Advanced ICU Care model, on average, reduced mortality by 40 percent, increased patient growth by 17 percent and increased patient throughput by 25 percent, allowing hospitals to serve more patients without adding beds. Community hospitals maintain independence at the local level and stay connected to their local communities, with the support of remote, 24/7 patient monitoring and expertise. Advanced ICU Care and MUSC will begin offering tele-ICU services later this year.

Tele-medicine grant funding will be available later this year. For details about how to apply for grant funds, contact Dee Ford, M.D., critical care outreach medical director at . To learn more about the tele-ICU programs, contact Chris Yancey at 866-394-6100, or .

The Medical University of South Carolina is uniquely qualified to develop a critical care outreach program. Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the oldest medical school in the South and educates more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 13,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. MUSC Health has been rated by for the last 16 years as the best hospital in SC and has received numerous awards related to patient safety and quality. MUSC awards specific to critical care include the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Beacon Award for Excellence. This prestigious award recognizes excellence in leadership, communication, implementation of best practices, use of evidence-based practice and processes, and excellent patient outcomes in critical care. Additionally, MUSC Health was one of eight hospitals in the US to receive the Critical Care Societies Collaborative Award for Eliminating Healthcare-Associated Infections sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Over 20 quality improvement initiatives related to critical care have been implemented this year alone. The improvements in care of ventilated patients have been so substantial that the University Health Consortium recognized MUSC Medical Center as among the best in the nation for care of the ventilated patient. For more information on academic programs, visit . For information regarding clinical services, visit .

Advanced ICU Care helps improve ICU patient care. As the largest provider of tele-ICU services, Advanced ICU Care has a proven track record of improving the clinical and financial performance of its hospital partners. Advanced ICU Care’s tele-ICU programs combine experienced intensivist-led care teams, sophisticated technology and collaborative programs with hospital staff to achieve a rigorous focus on evidence-based best practices that improve patient care and safety. Our team brings insights gained from decades of nationally recognized ICU leadership and expertise in both bedside ICU and tele-ICU environments. For more information, visit .