Rural residents across the United States face serious healthcare challenges, including limited access to providers. To address this pressing need, VirtuAlly and Teledigm Health entered into a collaborative agreement to bring virtual nursing services to rural healthcare systems and critical access hospitals Teledigm serves.
Rural healthcare providers face critical staffing shortages, especially among registered nurses, as fewer than 20% reside in rural areas. This gap limits patients’ access to the quality care they deserve. VirtuAlly’s virtual nurses support the onsite care team and enable rural health systems to reduce costs, boost efficiency and improve patient outcomes. Through the Teledigm partnership, VirtuAlly’s always-on virtual nursing services will support partner hospital systems across the Midwest by elevating the RN skill set to better assist critical care patients, with an average reduction of 20% in nurse turnover. Virtual nurses allow on-site nurses to focus on direct patient needs and critical tasks, further alleviating the administrative burden.
“Recruiting and retaining nurses in rural areas has become a significant challenge for healthcare systems across these communities. The partnership between VirtuAlly and Teledigm will address this critical need. Everyone deserves access to quality care — no matter where they live,” VirtuAlly Chief Nursing Officer Angel Bozard said. “Our virtual nurses seamlessly support rural healthcare systems and ensure patients receive the care they need and deserve, all while providing the on-site staff with the critical support to focus on bedside tasks.”
Rural facilities facing staff shortages must often transfer patients to other hospitals for treatment. Access to virtual nurses with critical care expertise will provide these rural hospital systems with a support system that will allow patients to remain close to home.
“Rural hospitals are confronted with many unique challenges. Partnering with VirtuAlly allows us to bring virtual nursing services to the rural systems we serve, and ensure their staff has the support and expertise they need to meet the demands of patient care,” Shane Fleming, Cofounder and Chief Development Officer at Teledigm Health said. “VirtuAlly is a company that perfectly aligns with our mission and vision. We look forward to working together and addressing healthcare needs in rural America.”
Teledigm and VirtuAlly share a commitment to patient-centered care by integrating the human touch with technology. The companies aim to leverage technology to enhance patient care, improve accessibility, and adapt to the evolving needs of the healthcare industry, all while maintaining a strong emphasis on human-centered approaches.
“To date, large, academic systems have been the primary beneficiary of virtual nursing. The collaboration with Teledigm will provide rural hospital settings with the same efficiencies and capabilities larger,” Bozard continued. “With always-on virtual care, we help short-staffed health systems focus on urgent needs while providing patients with peace of mind and continuous support.”
Sign in to leave a comment.