Hospitals across the nation have limited visitation policies with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to these restrictions, the Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS) developed a program with TeleHealth Services using cards of support and compassion from the local community presented on patient televisions and other public digital displays throughout the system’s hospitals.
Yale New Haven Health is Connecticut’s leading healthcare system with more than 26,000 employees and ranked among the best nationally for clinical care and use of technology. Schoolchildren and others in surrounding communities are sharing support for patients and gratitude for hospital staff across the six-hospital system. The entire process is digital and was first implemented when no patient visitors were allowed and deliveries to patients, including cards and flowers, were banned for safety purposes.
“We know this is a time of loneliness and isolation for many patients and family members,” said Yale New Haven Health Medical Director of Patient Experience Brittany Branson. “The Cards from the Community program, first implemented this past spring, continues to share cards from local school children and community organizations expressing hope, appreciation and well wishes for patients and staff.”
Teachers and principals at schools were invited to have students make cards. Photographs of the cards have been collected and digitally displayed on a rotational basis on the TVs accompanied by uplifting background music using a system developed by TeleHealth Services. TeleHealth Services is the nation’s leading provider of interactive patient experience solutions that integrate patient televisions, audiovisual systems, entertainment and relaxation content for hospitals and clinics throughout the nation.
TeleHealth Services is working with additional hospitals to rollout Cards from the Community programs. In addition, TeleHealth Services has been supplying relaxation videos and music for patients through patient room televisions, and virtual nurse visit systems throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual care system enables nursing staff to safely conduct care visits with isolated patients through centralized workstations within the hospital or from remote locations.
“The Client Outcomes Team and our entire company are focused on helping hospitals engage with patients and keep patients and staff safe,” said TeleHealth Services General Manager Kevin Colores. “We always have been dedicated to facilitating patient engagement while we realize this pandemic has necessitated stringent visitor restrictions and limited bedside contact. The Cards from the Community Program is one creative way hospitals can engage patients, staff and entire communities to show support, caring and thanksgiving from our hearts to theirs.”
TeleHealth Services NY Area Client Outcomes Manager Jim Stratos added, “I’ve heard countless stories that demonstrate the true resiliency, grit and creativity of healthcare’s frontline workers. They share a calling that helps unite them toward a common goal – caring for and supporting people who find themselves in a very difficult situation. It takes great compassion to connect with each patient on a personal level, and we are dedicated to working with hospitals in supporting their patient care initiatives that address COVID-19 related challenges.”
Colores added, “We are proud of our Outcomes Team and the commitment to partner with hospitals to find creative solutions for us all to navigate through this crisis.”
About TeleHealth Services
TeleHealth Services is driven to enhance the patient experience and positively impact health outcomes using innovative patient engagement and audiovisual technologies. With 60 years of patient-centered expertise and 2,500+ healthcare clients, the company designs and delivers turnkey solutions that increase patient satisfaction, improve quality of care, and maximize clinical and operational efficiencies. For more information about TeleHealth Services, please visit www.telehealth.com.
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