Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - The Avera Virtual Patient Care Program aims to increase virtual nursing infrastructure across the Avera McKennan region, and by extension, increase access to virtual nursing resources throughout Avera’s rural facilities in South Dakota. The project will solve many barriers that clinicians within the health system face due to staffing shortages by utilizing Artificial Intelligence via a platform that includes network sensors, cameras, speakers, and microphones, to gather data and build algorithms to automate specific workflows. The increased access to quality and specialty healthcare provided through the Avera Virtual Patient Care Program has the potential to reduce health disparities faced throughout Avera’s rural footprint in South Dakota and help clinicians deliver the proper care at the right time to improve patient outcomes and the overall quality of care in rural areas. The proposed funding will enable the organization to purchase cameras, speakers, Artisight Connect, and mobile carts at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, Avera Behavioral Health Hospital, Avera Specialty Hospital, Avera Medical Group Family Health Center Emergency Department – Marion, and Avera Medical Group Family Health Center Emergency Department – Dawley Farms. Each facility will receive telemedicine units that provide access to virtual patient care. This technology, with its advanced audio-visual capabilities, will connect them with highly trained nurses and technicians, ensuring efficient and quality healthcare.
