EARH installs ‘virtual emergency room’ to expand ER care

RITZVILLE — East Adams Rural Healthcare rolled out a new telemedicine system last month that officials say will improve emergency room responses dramatically. “We’ve used it probably a good dozen times now,” said EARH Chief Nursing Officer Lurisa Sackman. “We have had nothing but positive feedback from the staff in regard to the help that it offers them, and no issues or concerns from patients.” The system is called Avel eCare Emergency, and it’s a video link between the hospital in Ritzville and a facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which has on-call physicians and other providers who can talk with the patient and providers, help with diagnosis and take down vital information while the ER staff is doing the hands-on treatment.