Enhancing Technology and Infrastructure
Strengthening Local Care
NMC is committed to leveraging the latest technology in the care of our patients. We believe exceptional care starts with empathy, and the delivery of that care is made more efficient when our tools and techniques are industry standard and best practice.
Two examples of innovative use of technology and strong partnerships are the launch of Tele-ICU and a Tele-Neurology programs in collaboration with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Patients at NMC who need Intensive Care get help from both NMC’s team and the DHMC team via a monitor in the patient room that allows for two-way conversations between the local patient and care team and the experts at DHMC.
With Tele-Neurology, patients in NMC’s Emergency Department who need either routine or emergency consultations because of stroke symptoms get access to expert care without having to travel out of their community.
These programs keep high-quality care local, and are shown to result in better outcomes and less cost.
NMC has also advanced local cardiology care by adding TEE or transesophageal echocardiogram to the services we offer.
This test is done when a healthcare provider wants a closer look at a patient’s heart. A TEE uses high-frequency sound waves to examine the heart structure. TEE’s are now administered right in our clinic's building through Northwestern Cardiology.
In addition to expanded services, NMC also rolled out several advances in technology and equipment. This past year NMC up upgraded our Mindray monitoring system across the inpatient unit, in Surgical Services, and in the Emergency Department to modernize and standardize patient monitoring all across the hospital.
Another tech update was the implementation of an electronic appointment reminder system called “Well.” This communications software makes it easy to text reminders to patients about appointments and communicate quickly to specific segments of our patients – like those who are due for an annual exam or follow-up.
Upgrading our Infrastructure to Improve Patient Comfort and Access
Infusion Clinic & Sleep Lab:
Several projects this year updated our physical spaces for improved care. One project relocated the Infusion Clinic to a permanent location after several shifts in spaces. The new Infusion Center is located in dedicated hallway near the inpatient unit. The clinic shares space with our Sleep Lab for maximum efficiency. Sleep studies are performed in the rooms at night and infusions are conducted there during the day.
New Mattresses:
NMC purchased a new set of specialized mattresses for the Progressive Care Unit. The mattresses help prevent pressure injuries, which can be a significant problem for some patients. Having all beds equipped with these type of mattresses ensures that all patients immediately benefit from the resource.
New Wheelchairs:
NMC’s Auxiliary generously allocated funds from its fundraising endeavors to purchase a total of 24 new wheelchairs (both Staxi and Stryker brands) to help with patient transport at NMC for the benefit of Volunteers/Staff/Patient/Public.
Building an Oxygen Farm:
NMC’s use of oxygen for patients increased dramatically during the pandemic. The increased usage highlighted a need to create a larger “farm” of bulk storage tanks for the important medical gas. In late summer of 2021, NMC removed the old oxygen tanks which sat outside the Conference Center and added news ones in a space behind the Doctors Office Commons. Part of the project required carefully shutting down oxygen services in the hospital for a short period, and using temporary oxygen services until service could be restored. This was an intense, high-impact project that was very much behind the scenes of normal hospital operations.