Kent Hospital’s Division of Cardiology has announced a new telemedicine program that will allow hospital cardiologists to connect with their critical care colleagues at Brigham & Women’s Hospital of Boston via video-conferencing and desktop sharing technology. This program gives cardiologists at Kent the ability to manage more critically ill patients in their local setting, close to home.  

“The cardiac telemedicine program at Kent is an extremely powerful and beneficial way to treat the cardiac patients of our community in the local setting,” Chester Hedgepeth, MD, executive chief of cardiology at Kent Hospital, said in a statement. “This program gives reassurance to patients and families that have sought out expert opinions from national leaders in cardiology. By using this collaborative system, both cardiac teams gain greater insight into the patient’s condition, allowing us to manage the patient locally while having the option for further advanced care.”

Video-conferencing and image sharing technology makes up the backbone of the telemedicine communication system. With this collaboration between Kent and Brigham & Women’s hospitals and cutting-edge technology, each clinical professional involved will have a better knowledge of the patient and their cardiac condition. Cardiologists are given the opportunity to discuss treatment plans and advanced therapies specific to the patient’s diagnosis.  

“This technology allows us to collaborate with our clinical colleagues at Kent Hospital to provide comprehensive team-based care whether in Rhode Island, Boston, or both,” said David A Morrow, MD, MPH, director of the Levine Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Brigham & Women’s Hospital.

In January 2013, a major expansion of cardiology services at Kent Hospital was announced through an agreement with Brigham & Women’s Hospital of Boston.

Brigham & Women’s Cardiovascular Associates at Kent Hospital is structured to serve patients every step of the way from diagnosis to treatment, including outpatient consultation, care in Kent’s congestive heart failure clinic counseling for heart transplantation and an array of additional cardiac services.