The Bellevue Hospital launches TeleNephrology program for patients with kidney disease

BELLEVUE — The Bellevue Hospital recently introduced a new telenephrology program that will allow the hospital to provide scheduled consults for inpatients with chronic kidney disease. "Today's healthcare environment requires hospitals to continuously evaluate services offered to meet the needs of the community. This is especially true for rural community hospitals such as The Bellevue Hospital," said Timothy A. Buit, the hospital's president and chief executive officer. Buit said The Bellevue Hospital is looking forward to meeting the needs of the community members. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 15 percent of adults in the U.S. suffer from chronic kidney disease. Nephrology is the branch of medicine that deals with the physiology and diseases of the kidneys. Nephrologists work to treat conditions such as chronic kidney disease, kidney infections, and kidney failure. Telemedicine allows remote, board-certified nephrologists to interact with patients using videoconferencing equipment and electronic medical records systems. Bellevue Hospital's telenephrology program is made possible through a partnership between hospital and Eagle Telemedicine, a provider that is a pioneer in the field. A dedicated team of telenephrologists will collaborate with on-site physicians to provide guidance and expertise to nurses and other clinical staff. "We are delighted to welcome The Bellevue Hospital to the Eagle Telemedicine family," said Talbot "Mac" McCormick, president and CEO of Eagle Telemedicine. "We appreciate the enthusiasm with which our program has been adopted. This program is proof that telemedicine fills a vital need in expanding access to care to hospitals and communities that lack access to full-time specialists." After virtually examining the patient, the telenephrologist will give his or her recommendation for treatment while the patient is hospitalized. Treatment may include testing, prescribing medications, and outpatient follow-up with a local nephrologist. Most patients with end-stage renal disease on dialysis will now be able to receive dialysis while hospitalized at The Bellevue Hospital. The Eagle team includes Dr. Brittany Thomas, Dr. Gaylord Hoffert, and Dr. Girish Singhania. All of the Eagle Telemedicine physicians are tenured and board-certified in internal medicine and nephrology. These telenephrologists in the program will work closely with clinical staff as an integral part of the healthcare team. Two additional nephrologists will join the Eagle team in supporting the telenephrology program at The Bellevue Hospital in the coming months.