With the initiative to improve care delivery and patient outcomes from Donna Dorsey, ED Manager and the generous donation from the hospital Auxiliary, a state-of-the-art point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is now a reality for patient care.
“Unlike traditional imaging, POCUS provides real-time results at the bedside, reducing delays and improving access to care in our rural community,” said Dorsey. “It does not replace traditional ultrasound but is complementary to it.”
The game changer, a Mindray TE X Flex Edition Ultrasound System. It’s an advanced piece of equipment that provides clinicians a versatile tool tailored to a wide range of clinical scenarios, from routine examinations to more complex diagnostic challenges.
The positive impact of using this technology is already evident. Without the POCUS, previous potential diagnosis may have had to be sent to Reno, but with this new system, physicians can now confirm/rule out issues keeping the patient local and expediting treatment.
“Point-of-care ultrasound has become universal for emergency physicians. Ultrasound is routinely used to help with the evaluation and treatment of a variety of common conditions. This state-of-the-art ultrasound machine brings this capability to EPHC. Most of our physicians have had experience with ultrasound at other hospitals. It is a gradually developed skill, and with this machine available at EPHC ER, all our physicians now have this important tool available and can continue to develop their ultrasound skills,” exclaimed Dr. Paul Swanson, Emergency Physician and Director of the EPHC Emergency Department.
Since the acquisition of the POCUS, it has been Emergency Medicine Physician, Dr. William Mills who has the most experience with the machine. He was able to show a young woman with abdominal pain, who was 12 weeks pregnant, the beating heart of her fetus, reassuring her that her pregnancy was all right, and preventing the need for transfer to another facility.
He can look for fluid around the heart which can be a cause of chest pain and shortness of breath and even determine an ectopic pregnancy, a life-threatening condition.
These are just a few examples of use, as many more of our emergency medicine physicians can attest that the POCUS has revolutionized healthcare delivery to EPHC by providing immediate, diagnostic imaging, reducing the need for patients to travel outside their community for specialized care.
