Electronic Medical Record and Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant

Copper Queen Community Hospital in Bisbee, AZ was recently selected to receive a $183,108 grant to implement Electronic Medical Record and Tele-health services for its home health company Copper Valley Home Health. The hospital’s proposal was among 165 eligible applications. From this group there were 78 grant recipients selected. Three awards were given in the state of Arizona and 31 states were represented in the $22.3 million dollar grant program. The grant was funded under the USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program administered by USDA.

Copper Queen Community Hospital is moving towards a total Electronic Medical Record System throughout the hospitals clinics, home health program and the hospital. “We are pleased that the USDA has recognized the Hospital’s program as innovative and worthy of this grant. Rural communities need assistance from the federal government to implement information technology infrastructure” according to Jim Dickson the hospital’s CEO. “The new EMR will interface with the hospital’s computers. It will also allow physicians to view their patient’s current medical condition from their offices”. Current federal legislation and the budget deficit at the state give us every indication that there will be reductions in payment for home health services,” so efficiencies in communication and case management through tele-health and EMR should ensure service availability to more local clients.

The grant will also fund a mobile monitoring system that can visit Senior Centers, Health Fairs, and other settings so that persons who are not home bound can have their health information monitored by the home health staff who would alert the patient or their physician if any abnormal results are observed. The early identification of any problem could lead to earlier intervention and better outcomes.

Copper Queen Community Hospital’s project is designated to improve the quality and quantity of the hospital’s Home Health Services. The home health department, Copper Valley Home Health, is the only remaining hospital based home health service in Cochise County. This program serves home bound patients who are in need of visits by nursing staff, either following a hospitalization, or because of a chronic disease condition, or who may be in need of wound care.

With the expanded tele-monitoring system the program can serve more patients with the same number of staff members by enhancing the number of “visits” through use of the phone and video based technology to monitor patient’s blood pressure, weight, respirations, and other vital signs. By assessing the patient in the home, unnecessary trips to the doctor’s office or emergency room can be avoided. The tele-monitors come in both a visual screen version and an audio only version. The visual version allows the home health nurse to see the patient on a screen in her office. Physicians can use the system to directly view the patient in their homes.

The Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant program was created to improve access to education and medical services through the use of technology, according to the USDA, who states that their mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for rural residents.

Copper Queen Community Hospital applied for the grant so that the growing number of home health patients in this area could be served more efficiently and effectively.