Fairfax Community Hospital and Oklahoma State University Launch Statewide Telemedicine Program for Rural Patients
Published: April 12th, 2020
Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Logo
Thomas Engle, PA-C, and his team at Fairfax Community Hospital in Osage County will be the first rural hospital to launch OSU TeleHealth Solution through its partnership with the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences.
Fairfax (Osage County, Oklahoma) is home to a community hospital which also serves as teaching facility. The institution has formed a partnership with OSU to provide telemedicine serves 2/47.
Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences launched its enhanced OSU TeleHealth Solution service last Monday ( March 6) at the Fairfax Community Hospital in Osage County to provide rural hospital patients with immediate medical care using advanced technology to connect with certified, licensed physicians in real time.
The program offers Fairfax Community Hospital in-patients with instant access to virtual doctors on a “24/7” basis. As patients rest in their hospital beds, an on-site nursing staff in close collaboration with a healthcare provider can run tests, conduct assessments, and offer a plan of care through a virtual telemedicine mobile cart.
“The COVID-19 crisis is reaching into rural Oklahoma adding a strain to rural hospitals that are trying to bring patients the best care possible right in their hometowns,” said OSU Medicine CEO Rhett Stover. “Technology now allows Oklahoma licensed physicians to assess Oklahoma’s rural patients via enhanced telemedicine tools that help diagnose and begin a treatment plan for patients who are miles away. Rural healthcare providers can keep patients in their home community without the added disruption of care to transport patients long distances for a hospital admission.”
The Fairfax Community Hospital and its managing group, First Physicians Capital Group, is bringing telehealth to the forefront of hospital technology to serve its rural residents in time for the surge in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Telehealth is a service we have always needed and can now access. In addition to recruiting qualified physicians to travel to Fairfax, we can instantly access board-certified healthcare providers using OSU’s technology to provide quality healthcare at a touch of button,” said Carl Laffoon, Interim CEO of Fairfax Community Hospital.
Laffoon said through their relationship with OSU TeleHealth Solution and OSU Medicine, the hospital now has the ability to offer a wide array of clinical services that positively impact the healthcare vitality in the community.
“OSU Telehealth Solution will provide our hospital with an opportunity where trained physicians actually see the patients every day,” added Laffoon, “This proactive approach allows us go above and beyond and thoroughly evaluate and treat each of our patients.”
OSU Center for Health Sciences and OSU Medicine is an Oklahoma Health Care Authority certified telemedicine network. The organization uses its network to help patients across Oklahoma connect with telemedicine physicians from their local communities, providing clinical expertise and assistance to patients virtually to reduce the costs and frustrations inherent with traveling for physician visits. The healthcare providers in the program are board-certified and licensed in Oklahoma.
About First Physicians Capital Group: First Physicians Capital Group is an Oklahoma City-based hospital management group that provides innovative health services and resources in the local community. The organization offers financial, technology, management and capital solutions to hospital in rural markets. Its partnerships with rural communities help operate community hospitals that benefit residents, physicians, and local economies.
About Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences and OSU Medicine: Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences is a nationally recognized academic health center focused on teaching, research, and patient care through its OSU Medicine clinics located throughout the Tulsa metro area. OSU Center for Health Sciences offers graduate and professional degrees through the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the School of Allied Health, the School of Health Care Administration, the School of Biomedical Sciences, and the School of Forensic Sciences.
OSU Medicine operates a network of clinics offering a multitude of specialty services including addiction medicine, cardiology, family medicine, internal medicine, pain management, pediatrics, psychiatry and women’s health. Learn more at health.okstate.edu.