U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS), representative from the First District in Kansas, announced an earmark of $300,000 for the medical center’s telemedicine program. The measure has passed the House and approval remains for the Senate.
Using a video conference center and other technology, doctors at the medical center can meet with patients as far away as Hays, Kan., preventing an over four-hour drive for both parties.
Dr. Gary Doolittle of the medical center led a demonstration of the communication system Wednesday with Mitch Berens, a patient from Hays.
Berens, who suffers from melanoma, said the telemedicine program is convenient for him and his family.
“I enjoy it, especially having see (Dr. Doolittle) on a weekly basis,” Berens said. “It’s offered me the same doctor every time. My visits go much quicker and my wait is much shorter.”
The telemedicine program at KUMC reaches out to over 70 locations throughout the State Kansas, including Kansas City, Kan. The number could increase if the bill is approved by the Senate.
Ryan Spaulding, director of the center for Telemedicine and Telehealth, said the $300,000 would go toward adding more locations, expanding the amount of services for patients and more research.
“We want to expand the number of sites in our program,” he said. “It’s probably going to be about $15,000 by the time all the technology is set up at one site.”
Doolittle said he initially had to adjust to the telemedicine program when it was introduced in the mid-1990s, but now hopes it is expanded with the help of the earmark.
“I would like to see this type of service expanded,” he said. “Services just don’t have to go through Kansas City. You can use this technology to bring people together.”
Services offered by the telemedicine location range from psychiatry to educational program. With the video conference setup, Doolittle and other physicians can listen to heartbeats and can look inside a patients’ throat and ears with available technology.
Although KU Med does not fall inside Moran’s district, which ranges from the Colorado border to just west of Topeka, Kan., he said the medical center is important for him and residents in the state.
“This is to me strong evidence of the role KU plays,” he said. “This is a perfect example of where KU makes a difference in the quality of life for many.”
Along with Rep. Moran, University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway, KUMC Hospital and President and CEO Bob Page and KUMC Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara Atkinson all visited the event.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Nick Sloan
Quelle/Source: The Kansas City Kansan, 11.08.2007
