Through the use of new, secure technology, patients being treated in the emergency department at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center can now be seen more quickly by the hospital’s psychiatric specialists located at the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute in Harrisburg.
The Medical Center’s new psychiatric telemedicine pilot program was made possible by a personal gift from state Sen. Pat Vance, who was among those attending a recent event to demonstrate the new technology.
The new program allows providers in the emergency department to consult more easily with an appropriate specialist in cases where psychiatry needs to be part of the treatment plan. It builds on the Medical Center’s successes with telemedicine in other areas, including stroke, ALS and dermatology.