NORTH CONWAY, NH — When a patient presenting with stroke symptoms arrives at MaineHealth Memorial Hospital's emergency department, time is of the essence. It could take hours to arrange for medical transport and get that patient to a tertiary care center like MaineHealth Maine Medical Center to see a stroke neurologist. Using telehealth, these patients can receive this specialized care if it is necessary in less than 30 minutes.
While telehealth is often associated with remote home visits, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital also uses it to enhance on-site care. Using remote consult technology, MaineHealth specialists can offer local care teams expert advice at the bedside or in the exam room. These innovations ensure faster access to emergency stroke treatment, neonatal care, and patient safety, providing expert consultation.
Critical Access to Stroke Care
For stroke patients, immediate treatment can increase a patient’s odds of recovery without lasting impairment. MaineHealth Memorial Hospital’s emergency department has access to stroke neurologists any time of day. The local care team can coordinate remotely to evaluate patients within the critical first hour of arrival using specialized video conferencing and remote monitoring of patient vitals.
“Specialists can follow a patient’s status from anywhere,” said Paul Hughes, Emergency Medical Services Coordinator. “The patient can stay where they are comfortable, locally, or be transported to higher level of care, at the suggestion of the specialist.”
Telehealth Supports Newborns and Families
As hospitals nationwide scale back maternity services, Memorial’s Family Birth Center remains an essential service line for families. Neonatologists are available on demand to assess newborns in distress and guide the local care team in providing appropriate care.
This remote collaboration ensures that even in a rural setting, infants receive the same level of expert care available in larger medical centers. “If you’re at Memorial, you are going to get the same safety net of care that you would get anywhere at MaineHealth,” said Leigh Copsey, RN, Clinical Supervisor of the Family Birth Center. Since launching TeleNICU on May 21, 2024, 6 newborn patients have benefited from this service at Memorial.
Increasing Patient Safety with TeleSitter Technology
Hospitals face an ongoing challenge: ensuring the safety of high-risk patients while allowing clinical staff to focus on the most critical aspects of care. Patients with fall risks, cognitive impairments, or behavioral health needs often require continuous monitoring to prevent adverse events. Traditionally, this has meant assigning one-on-one patient sitters, which can be resource-intensive and limit staff from working at the top of their license.
To address this, MaineHealth has implemented the TeleSitter program, a remote patient observation system designed to enhance safety and optimize staff resources. Video monitors in the rooms of at-risk patients allow trained staff to observe multiple at-risk patients simultaneously from a centralized location. Real-time monitoring prevents falls, manages crises, and reduces the need for in-room sitters.
"The TeleSitter program enhances patient safety across MaineHealth, especially in smaller hospitals like Memorial," said Hannah Plummer, MaineHealth TeleSitter Program Manager. "By allowing trained staff to remotely monitor multiple at-risk patients, we provide high-quality observation without straining bedside teams. This technology ensures that all patients, regardless of location, receive the same level of safety and support, while allowing nurses and other clinical staff to focus on direct patient care."
Expanding Access Through Telehealth Innovation
Telehealth is a vital innovation transforming patient access to specialized services. "The value of these telehealth services cannot be overstated, said Stephnie Gagne, MaineHealth Director of Telehealth Services. “Programs like TeleNICU, TelePICU, and Telestroke ensure that patients at Memorial have access to specialized, high-quality care without having to leave their community. The reassurance of having expert consultation at a moment’s notice is invaluable to both our patients and our providers."
In rural areas, telehealth provides a critical lifeline for emergency care, remote monitoring, specialized consultations. Whether a stroke patient or a newborn in distress, telehealth ensures patients at a critical access hospital receive the best care available.
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About MaineHealth
MaineHealth is a not-for-profit, integrated health system whose vision is, “Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America,” and is committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow's caregivers and researching better ways to provide care. MaineHealth includes a Level 1 trauma medical center, eight additional licensed hospitals, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services. With more than 2,000 employed providers and approximately 23,000 care team members, MaineHealth provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. MaineHealth hospitals include MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor in Westbrook, MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, Biddeford and Sanford, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, MaineHealth Stephens Hospital in Norway and MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast. MaineHealth also includes the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland, MaineHealth Behavioral Health in Westbrook, MaineHealth Home Health and Hospice in Saco, the MaineHealth Institute for Research in Scarborough, the MaineHealth Medical Group and MaineHealth NorDx in Scarborough. MaineHealth affiliates include MaineGeneral Health in Augusta and Waterville and St. Mary's Health System in Lewiston. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland and a joint venture partner in the New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland.