to create a new service offering in addition to the tele-stroke programme focused on providing consultative care to rural emergency departments. In January 2020, Wellstar MCG Health launched its tele-ER to ER programme focused on providing consultative care to rural hospitals in their Emergency Department from WMCGH.“ However as COVID-19 evolved in Georgia, our newly formed programme evolved with it,” Hopkins says.“ In July 2020, we added the inpatient consultative component to the programme so patients can be treated from triage and admission through discharge for rural hospitals in Georgia. This program enabled rural hospitals to keep and treat more complex patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 began to slow in 2022 and 2023, the rural hospitals were able to still use their enhanced skills they focused on during the pandemic to treat more complex patients. This programme focuses on improving rural hospital’ s transfer rates and financial viability by keeping patients in their rural community.” As of today, Wellstar MCG Health has sixteen hospitals in the rural virtual care network and are continuously growing to continue helping rural hospitals sustainability and health outcomes.
While this programme is now the largest component of services provided, Wellstar
6 augustahealth. org