On November 21, 2004, eighteen-month-old baby Kate was critically injured in a car accident. She was rushed by paramedics to the closest hospital in Douglas AZ, a small rural town. When she arrived at the Douglas emergency room, Kate was in shock and minutes away from death, having lost almost two-thirds of her blood from multiple injuries. The doctor saw immediately that he would need assistance and called the closest trauma center, University Medical Center's (UMC) Level 1 in Tucson, 100 miles away. Using the Arizona Telemedicine Program (ATP) network, a trauma surgeon at UMC was able to see and examine Kate. He reviewed her vital signs, X-rays and lab tests results and virtually led the doctors and nurses in Douglas through emergency medical procedures. Once Kate was resuscitated and stabilized, she was transported to UMC for further treatment. She fully recovered.
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References and notes
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Anecdotes and facts from interview with Lisa Vetter, Telemedicine Specialist St. Alexius Medical Center
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Bria, W., Finn, N. (2009). Telemedicine. In: Digital Communication in Medical Practice. Health Informatics. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-355-6_5
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