>> Gerry Dick: WELL, SMALL HOSPITAL IN GREENSBURG HAS LAUNCHED TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS DOCTORS TO MONITOR PATIENTS AT
HOME, INCLUDING THOSE WITH COVID-19 WHO DON'T NEED THE FULL SUPPORT OF A HOSPITAL SETTING. BUSINESS OF HEALTH REPORTER
KYLIE VELETA HAS DETAILS. KYLIE? >> Kylie Veleta: THANK YOU, GERRY.
THE NEW SYSTEM USES A MEDICAL DEVICE THAT CLIPS TO THE PATIENT'S FINGER TO COLLECT THEIR VITALS IN THE COMFORT OF
THEIR HOME, AND IT SENDS THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THE CLINICIANS AT THE HOSPITAL. CALLED M OFTEOSIMO SAFETY NET.
IT'S A RECENT UPGRADE TO THE HOSPITAL'S PATIENT MONITORING SYSTEM. HERE TO TELL US MORE HOW IT'S
BEING USED AT THE HOSPITAL AND AT HOME IS REX McKINNEY, THANKS FOR BEING ON THE SHOW TODAY. >> Rex McKinney: THANK YOU,
KYLIE. >> Kylie Veleta: WE'LL GET TO THE DEVICE IN JUST A MINUTE, BUT FIRST TAKE US BACK TO THE EARLY
DAYS OF THE PANDEMIC. DECATUR COUNTY HAD ONE OF THE HIGHEST COVID POSITIVE RATES PER CAPITA IN THE STATE.
EXPLAIN HOW THAT REALLY UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ABLE TO REMOTELY MONITOR PATIENTS.
>> Rex McKinney: EVEN PRIOR TO THE IMPACT OF COVID IN OUR COMMUNITY, OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM WAS EXPLORING A DIFFERENT
PLATFORM FROM A PATIENT CARE MONITORING STANDPOINT. WE HAD NEEDS IN THE INPATIENT ENVIRONMENT, AND WE WANTED A
PLATFORM TO ACCOMMODATE OUR INPATIENT ENVIRONMENT AND WITH AN EYE ON THE FUTURE WITH REGARDS TO THE NEEDS FROM AN
AMBULATORY STANDPOINT, THOSE PATIENTS THAT DON'T NEED TO BE TREATED IN THE HOSPITAL, BUT NEED TO BE MONITORED REMOTELY IN
SOME FASHION. LITTLE DID WE KNOW, JUST A COUPLE MONTHS LATER AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INITIAL
PLATFORM THAT THE DEMAND WOULD BE GREAT FROM AN AMBULATORY MONITORING STANDPOINT. SO, THE IMPACT OF COVID, AS
WE'VE SEEN, AS THAT VIRUS HAS EVOLVED IN THE CLINICAL CONDITION, SOME PATIENTS DO NOT REQUIRE ADMISSION, BUT NEED TO
BE MONITORED VERY CLOSELY DUE TO SOME OTHER MEDICAL ISSUES THAT THEY MAY HAVE, SOME CO-MORBIDITIES THAT THEY MAY
HAVE THAT COULD REALLY IMPACT THEM CLINICALLY IN A SOMEWHAT URGENT FASHION. WE REALLY FELT LIKE THERE WERE
ADDITIONAL TOOLS NECESSARY FOR OUR PHYSICIANS AND PROVIDERS TO HAVE AVAILABLE FROM A REMOTE MONITORING STANDPOINT.
SO THE MASIMO PLATFORM PROVED TO BE OFFICIAL ON THE INPATIENT SIDE, AND ALSO EQUIPPING OUR ABILITY TO MANAGE THE AMBULATORY
ENVIRONMENT. >> Kylie Veleta: IT'S CALLED THE MASIMO SAFETY NET. EXPLAIN THE BASICS HOW IT WORKS,
BOTH AT THE HOSPITAL AND ALSO PATIENTS THAT YOU SEND HOME WITH IT. >> Rex McKinney: THERE'S A
TRADITIONAL BEDSIDE MONITOR CAPABILITY CAPABILITY. WE PLACE THESE MASIMO DEVICES IN
EVERY BEDSIDE IN OUR INPATIENT ENVIRONMENT AND IT'S GREAT TECHNOLOGY THAT MONITORS A VARIETY OF VITAL SIGNS.
IT TAKES THE WORKLOAD BURDEN OFF THE CLINICAL AND NURSING STAFF AND ALLOWS THE NURSING STAFF TO IMPROVE THE WORKFLOW AT THE
BEDSIDE BY INTEGRATING THOSE VITAL SIGNS INTO OUR ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD. ONCE THE NURSE SEES THE VITAL
SIGNS, TAKES THE VITAL SIGNS, SHE CAN SIMPLY PUSH A BUTTON, DOWNLOAD THAT DATA INTO THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD, WHICH
FREES UP THE NURSE TO SPEND MORE TIME AT THE BEDSIDE. THERE'S ALSO A CENTRAL MONITORING STATION WHERE IF OUR
CLINICAL STAFF IS BUSY, THEY CAN MONITOR WITH PARAMETERS. ON THE AMBULATORY SIDE, WE'VE SEEN GREAT BENEFIT FROM THE
CLINICAL STAFF. THEY CAN BE MONITORED IN LIVE TIME OR WE'VE USED A METHOD WHERE IT CAN BE UTILIZED TO
TREND DATA. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF OUR MOST RECENT USE CASES, WE HAD AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS -- HAD COVID,
TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID. OUR PHYSICIAN WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED BECAUSE THE PATIENT WAS PREGNANT ALSO.
SO THE PHYSICIAN ORDERED A MONITORING DEVICE TO BE PLACED ON THE PATIENT SO WE COULD TREND THAT DATA OVER TIME SO THE
INDIVIDUAL, IN CASE THE INDIVIDUAL DID DETERIORATE, OUR CLINICIANS COULD IDENTIFY THAT, REACH OUT TO THE PATIENT, AND
ASSESS VIA THE PHONE. AND I HAVE A SAMPLE OF THE DEVICE ON MY WRIST RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS VERY SIMPLE DEVICE THAT
CONNECTS REMOTELY TO A MOBILE DEVICE AND THAT DATA IS TRANSMITTED FROM THE MOBILE DEVICE TO OUR CENTRAL MONITORING
STATION WHERE OUR QUALIFIED NURSING STAFF OR PHYSICIANS CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT DATA AND ASSESS REMOTELY.
>> Kylie Veleta: AND YOU'RE A CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL, SO YOU SERVE RURAL AREAS. WE TALKED OFF CAMERA HOW THIS IS
A WIN FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND IT REALLY DEMONSTRATES HOW THEY CAN GET GREAT CARE, GREAT TECHNOLOGY CLOSE TO HOME.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT? >> Rex McKinney: ABSOLUTELY. FOR RURAL HEALTH ENVIRONMENTS
LIKE DECATUR COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, WE ARE TOTALLY COMMITTED TO SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY EFFECTIVELY, WE NEED ACCESS TO GREAT TECHNOLOGY AND GREAT CARE. TECHNOLOGY IS SO IMPORTANT.
TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THIS TECHNOLOGY IN OUR ENVIRONMENT, DECATUR COUNTY REGION, WE SERVE APPROXIMATELY 26,000 INDIVIDUALS
IN OUR IMMEDIATE COUNTY. AND SOME OF THEM ARE IN REMOTE AREAS. SO THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND
BROADBAND IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT IN THE HEALTH CARE SPACE. SO WE'RE PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO
ENHANCE OUR TECHNOLOGY, TO MONITOR REMOTELY, BUT ALSO INVEST IN THE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE INPATIENT NEEDS HERE WITHIN THE
HOSPITAL. SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO INVEST IN THIS TECHNOLOGY, HAVE THE LATEST AND
GREATEST TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE FOR OUR CLINICIANS AND PHYSICIANS, BUT ALSO FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY
THAT REQUIRE A LITTLE MORE CLOSE MONITORING. >> Kylie Veleta: SO YOU MENTIONED THE BROADBAND
CAPABILITY, AND HOW SOME OF YOUR RESIDENTS ARE IN REMOTE RURAL AREAS. SO IS THAT A BARRIER?
DO SOME OF THEM NOT HAVE BROAD BAND SO THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO USE THIS DEVICE? >> Rex McKinney: YES, IN SOME
PARTS OF OUR COUNTY, BROADBAND ACCESS IS A CHALLENGE. WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO OUR LOCAL BROADBAND PRIOVIDER AND WORKING
WITH THEM CLOSELY TO INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL ENHANCE THE BROADBAND CAPABILITIES IN CERTAIN REMOTE AREAS OF OUR
COUNTY. SO THAT IS A REALLY CHALLENGE FOR THE STATE OF INDIANA AS WELL AS NATIONALLY FOR RURAL HEALTH
PROVIDERS. WE'RE VERY PLEASED AT DECATUR COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WE'RE ABLE TO INVEST IN THAT TYPE OF
TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE THE BROADBAND CAPABILITIES OF OUR REGION TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE -- INDIVIDUALS HAVE GREAT
ACCESS TO CARE VIA REMOTE TECHNOLOGY. >> Kylie Veleta: MUCH OF THIS UPGRADE WAS PAID FOR WITH A
GRANT, CORRECT? GIVEN I THINK RIGHT IN THE THICK OF THE PANDEMIC, AS WELL. >> Rex McKinney: WE WERE SO
BLESSED TO RECEIVE AN FCC GRANT OF NEARLY $700,000 TO ENHANCE OUR TELEHEALTH CAPABILITIES. SOME OF THE REMOTE MONITORING
INVESTMENT DID COME FROM THOSE DOLLARS. WE'VE ALSO INVESTED IN ADDITIONAL TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL
ALLOW US TO PROVIDE REMOTE CLINIC CAPABILITIES. WE REALLY FEEL LIKE WE CAN PROVIDE GREATER ACCESS TO CARE
FOR OUR LOCAL -- LOCAL EMPLOYERS AND HELP DRIVE DOWN LOCAL EMPLOYER HEALTH CARE COST BY REDUCING THE TIME AWAY FROM WORK
FOR CLINIC VISITS AND THAT SORT OF THING. SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT
INVESTMENT IN TELEHEALTH TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS REMOTE MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS
OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. >> Kylie Veleta: ALL RIGHT, REX, WELL CONGRATULATIONS ON THE UPGRADE.
REX McKINNEY, PRESIDENT AND CEO