How ‘telecardiology’ is helping one Texas hospital treat rural patients
A handful of hospitals in the Texas panhandle are creating a telemedicine network that extends specialist care—including cardiology—to patients in more rural areas of the state.
News Channel 10 reported July 24 that Coon Memorial Hospital in Dalhart, Texas, first launched its “telederm” program at the end of last year, scheduling patients for 15-minute video consultations with specialists in bigger hubs like Amarillo and Lubbock. “Telecardiology” launched at the beginning of 2019 and connects patients in Dalhart to physicians at the Cardiology Center of Amarillo.
From point A to point B, the trip from Dalhart to Amarillo would take at least an hour and fifteen minutes by car, totaling almost 80 miles in the straightest route.
“It’s just nice to have this service to provide to patients that aren’t able to or it saves them money, time, gas mileage, everything,” LVN Marina Tello, of Coon Memorial, told the news outlet. “We haven’t had any negative feedback with anybody. It saves time, it saves money and you’re getting the same amount of care, if not better.”
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After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.