Penn Medicine has announced the launch of their new telemedicine hub, Penn Medicine Center for Connected Care that centralizes the health system’s telemedicine activities. The center also includes its almost 15-year-old Penn E-lert eICU for the critically ill, a tele-homecare service for the chronically ill, as well as a telemedicine service linking obstetricians to trauma surgeons caring for critically injured pregnant women, and a tele-urgent care service which eliminates the need for physical visits in some cases.
The center addresses the ever-growing demand for easily accessible telehealth services. Located at Penn Medicine Rittenhouse in center city Philadelphia, it is the largest telehealth center in the region and one of the largest telehealth hubs in the country. The center currently employs 50 full-time employees work together to support patients 24/7 as well other Penn Medicine staff in a variety of settings across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
“Patients today increasingly expect to engage with health care providers with the same clickable convenience as buying holiday gifts online or ordering a ride-sharing service from their phone,” said Penn Medicine’s Chief Medical Information Officer, C. William Hanson, III, MD in a statement. “Our telehealth services make it easy for patients to get the care they need where they need it. Telemedicine is also an important part of our health system’s strategic growth, connecting clinicians in different hospitals and ranging from real-time care of our critically ill patients to the expansion of our home care services for patients at increased risk of being readmitted to the hospital after they go home.”
“Connected care allows us to bypass the constraint of needing the patient to come to us in order to get the best medical care,” Hanson added. “We’re bringing the highest level of care to the greatest number of people: the right care in the right place at the right time.”
