Virtual ICU links WVU critical care, trauma providers with Potomac Valley Hospital

A new telemedicine program, featuring expert WVU Medicine critical care and trauma providers, has been launched to support patients at WVU Medicine Potomac Valley Hospital in Keyser, W.Va.

The Virtual ICU or VICU, has begun as a pilot program and is led by Alison Wilson, MD, and a team of intensivists. Through video technology, they will collaborate daily with physicians, nurses, and staff from Potomac Valley Hospital to provide a higher level of care to patients who need more acute treatment. Physicians conduct “virtual rounds" with the Potomac Valley ICU patients and are available in a 24-hour, on-call status to add support for emergent concerns that might arise. Critically ill and injured patients that require the direct care of an intensivist will continue to be transferred to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Potomac Valley Hospital to start this innovative team to help support the care being delivered to acutely ill patients,” Alison Wilson, MD, executive chair of the WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute, said. “I have been pleased with the dedication, interest, and engagement of all the providers at Potomac Valley who are involved in this project.”

The VICU is different from the more commonly-used electronic ICU, which requires complex computer software, remote physicians, and excludes the team at the local hospital, Dr. Wilson said. 

“With the VICU, we round with the local team, discuss the issues, and develop a plan for that patient,” Wilson said. “In doing this, we work by, with, and through the local hospital staff to care for the patient. The local team is involved and understands the plan.  It helps with implementation and, importantly, builds trust and relationships with the continuum of providers at Potomac Valley Hospital. It has been a very rewarding project.”

Faith Rodeheaver, an advanced practice provider at Potomac Valley Hospital, said, “the VICU has proven to be an invaluable resource to our facility.

“Providers are able to discuss patient care one-on-one with intensivists at WVU Medicine with the simple click of a button. While data and numbers may reveal information about a patient’s illness, a physical examination speaks volumes in regards to the patient’s condition. This program allows the care team to share the decision-making process and implement treatment and/or interventions quickly. In the past, this level of care could only be provided at larger tertiary facilities.”

Another goal of the VICU program is to reduce the number of patients who will require transfer from their home location to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital. This will lessen the strain on families by keeping patients close to home and it will also relieve pressure on an already-stretched EMS transportation system.

“As a critical access hospital of the WVUMedicine system we are working hard to bring quality hospital care back to the communities when approriate and possible,” Charles Bess, MD, medical director of Potomac Valley Hospital of WVUMedicine, said. 

The findings and results of this six-month pilot program will be used to explore the possibility of expanding the program to other hospitals across West Virginia.

“The potential benefits of this program for healthcare across West Virginia and our local communities are exciting,” Wilson said.

Since its inception in 2015, the Critical Care and Trauma Institute has evolved to expand the capabilities of its adult ICU care. The growth was made possible by hiring numerous highly-trained, board-certified providers who are considered experts and pioneers in their fields.