NewYork-Presbyterian has launched the Hauser Institute for Health Innovation, in recognition of the visionary philanthropy of longtime supporters Rita E. Hauser and Gustave M. Hauser.

The Hausers have given more than $50 million to NewYork-Presbyterian in support of the hospital’s innovation programs in health information technology and telemedicine since 2011.

WHY IT MATTERS

It is the hope of NewYork-Presbyterian that the Hauser Institute for Health Innovation will have a profound impact on how care is delivered now and in the future by supporting innovation and pioneering research to benefit patients and bringing thought leaders together to advance knowledge in the digital health field.

“NewYork-Presbyterian is transforming the way healthcare is delivered, using technology to put patients’ needs first and expand access to our world-class care,” said Dr. Steven J. Corwin, president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian, in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to Rita and Gustave Hauser for their foundational leadership and partnership in making NewYork-Presbyterian a national leader in telemedicine.”

“We believe in the importance of harnessing technology to improve people’s lives, and we are delighted to support NewYork-Presbyterian’s efforts to expand access to their world-class care,” said Rita Hauser on behalf of the couple. “NewYork-Presbyterian is using advanced technologies to fundamentally change the way that healthcare is provided, making it more convenient and accessible to all.”

THE LARGER TREND

The Hausers’ generosity has led to the creation of NYP OnDemand, NewYork-Presbyterian’s suite of telemedicine services designed to expand access to the hospital’s care. Today, NYP OnDemand, in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, has grown to include more than 46 programs and allowed providers to care for patients during more than 230,000 visits.

A key focus of this new initiative will be expanding telemedicine services deeper into the communities NewYork-Presbyterian serves to provide high-quality, convenient and affordable care with an emphasis on preventive health and wellness.

"Hauser investment in telemedicine is allowing NewYork-Presbyterian to develop a fully integrated emergency care and urgent care ecosystem."

Daniel Barchi, NewYork-Presbyterian

The Hauser Institute for Health Innovation at NewYork-Presbyterian will support the operations of NewYork-Presbyterian’s robust telemedicine programs, officials say, including:

• NYP OnDemand, whose services, in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia, allow patients to easily communicate with physicians from a mobile phone, tablet, computer, and even self-service kiosks at select Walgreens and Duane Reade stores throughout New York City.
• Remote Patient Monitoring, helping physicians monitor patients under their care from a distance, which can reduce the length of hospital stays and preventable re-hospitalizations.
• Clinical Operations Center, a remote monitoring system and command center that connects clinical care programs throughout the healthcare system and provides support for the entire system.
• Teleparamedics for high-risk patients who leave the hospital, allowing the Emergency Management Services team who visit the patients in their homes to connect to the appropriate specialist and coordinate the patient/physician interaction in real time during the home visit.

ON THE RECORD

“Rita and Gus Hauser began their investment in NewYork-Presbyterian’s advanced technology by underwriting a fully integrated teleconferencing system,” NewYork-Presbyterian CIO Daniel Barchi told Healthcare IT News.

“The platform has been in use across NewYork-Presbyterian’s ten campuses for more than five years now, and daily connects physicians, nurses and administrators for tumor boards, medical grand rounds, safety huddles and planning meetings,” he said.

The Hauser Institute for Health Innovation now makes it possible for NewYork-Presbyterian to leverage technology to level disparities in healthcare delivery, Barchi explained. The organization is using telemedicine to reach patients where and when they need care, and it is using artificial intelligence to make care delivery efficient in non-linear ways.

More important, the healthcare organization is using all of this technology to remove barriers of transportation, language and education to reach every patient who seeks care from NewYork-Presbyterian, Columbia Doctors and Weill Cornell Medicine, he added.

“Hauser investment in telemedicine is allowing NewYork-Presbyterian to develop a fully integrated emergency care and urgent care ecosystem,” Barchi said. “From urgent care visits via mobile phones and kiosks in Duane Reade/Walgreens stores, to medical screening exams and virtual visits in the emergency department, NewYork-Presbyterian is now a national leader in the use of telemedicine for emergency medicine.”

Within the emergency department, patients who need a psychiatric consult are now seen via a screen by a psychiatrist within two hours, instead of waiting for an extended period or traveling for their diagnosis, Barchi said.

“NewYork-Presbyterian leverages its new telemedicine capability to provide rapid care for stroke patients as well,” he added. “When a 911 call identifies a patient experiencing stroke symptoms, one of three Mobile Stroke Treatment Units goes to the scene and allows technicians to take a CT image of the patient’s brain in the back of the ambulance. That image is then sent to a neurologist wirelessly who determines the best and fastest course of treatment for the patient.”

The telemedicine outcomes of the Hauser Institute for Healthcare Innovation for patients include efficient care in emergency rooms; rapid diagnosis of critical conditions from home, work, school, via the NYP OnDemand app; and life-saving stroke care via the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, Barchi stated.

“The generosity of Rita and Gus Hauser enables NewYork-Presbyterian to rapidly develop new telemedicine processes, to expand each process to all hospitals and appropriate physician practices, and to invest in the technology and staff necessary to leverage telemedicine, artificial intelligence and other technology for advanced patient care,” Barchi concluded.

Twitter: @SiwickiHealthIT
Email the writer: bill.siwicki@himssmedia.com