TELEMEDICINE: Santa Rosa Memorial Launching Ambitious Program
Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital will be the hub of a new telemedicine network designed to increase access to medical care in the North Coast's rural communities, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports. The network will utilize new telecommunications equipment to "allow doctors to observe, diagnose and treat patients at clinics that may be located several hundred miles away." Clinics participating in the Northern California Telemedicine Network will feature high-resolution imaging equipment, audio equipment, high-speed voice and data transmission lines and computer networking. All sites will offer primary care, urgent care facilities and specialists, including dermatologists, oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, cardiologists, psychiatrists or home health experts. Memorial is funding the program's first site, at Redwood Coast Medical Services clinic in Gualala, scheduled to go on line in June. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) announced Monday she will request a $2 million federal expenditure for the project from the Senate Appropriations Committee (Carter, 5/25).
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