VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Good Samaritan is now able to offer patients live virtual visits thanks to Banyan Medical Solutions. 

As of Tuesday, Good Samaritan is combating the issue of the nursing labor shortage and burnout during a time of high patient demand with patient-centered virtual nursing. Working to supplement the on-site patient-care team, Good Samaritan will be able to add 4 additional nurses through the new virtual system.

Rachel Spalding, Good Samaritan’s Chief Nursing Officer said that Good Samaritan will have a nursing team dedicated to them through Banyan to provide virtual care services.

“These registered nurses, who have all gone through our hospital orientation and training procedures, will become an extension of our Good Samaritan nursing team,” she added. “With having a dedicated Banyan team assigned to us, our nurses and the virtual nurses will become familiar with one another and work as one team.”

The focus of the virtual nursing program is to provide assistance to Good Samaritin’s on-site nursing teams. Spalding also noted that the virtual nurses will complete admission and discharge paperwork along with their patient education. 

“This will allow our nurses to spend more time one-on-one delivering direct care to our patients,” Spalding added. “This will be a game changer for our care delivery model. Quality of care is our number one priority and Banyan enhances that commitment. Our partnership with Banyan will also help us maintain an energized staff of nurses.”

The virtual care platform has been licensed in all 50 states, improved clinical areas that cover patient experience and outcomes, time spent at bedsides, call light response times, as well as nurse turnover, overtime, and operational costs. Banyan’s new system has also decreased the length of patient stay and readmissions.

Every patient’s room will have technology installed that will allow virtual visits through in-room televisions and speakers. The nurse’s virtual visit will be announced through a chime rather than a knock at the door where the nurse will then ask for permission to use the camera. The nurse is then able to conduct the visit and can even follow up with patients’ families and other bedside staff members.

The benefits of Banyan Virtual Care technology is supported by the data collected from the partnering hospitals. “Results from consults show significantly improved quality measures, clinical outcomes, and revenue streams,” said Tony Buda, Banyan CEO, and founder. “We’re extremely proud of the great story that our numbers tell.”