Innovation Keeps an Eye on Patient Care

Technology has come a long way in recent years, especially in health care. Electronic medical records, telemedicine services, online scheduling and pharmacy services have made health care easy for patients and families. Today’s innovations also help our doctors and nurses get a clearer look at our patients’ health. BayCare has helped patients gain access to many advanced services in hopes of transforming patient care in the Tampa Bay area. This includes our innovative vICU (virtual ICU) for critical care patients.

The intensive care unit, or ICU, is a department in the hospital that cares for patients in need of specialized care by highly trained doctors, nurses and specialize medical staff. Physicians admit patients with complex medical and surgical needs. Your doctor determines how long you or your loved one needs to remain in the ICU for specialized treatment and recovery. Thanks to BayCare’s continued effort to find ways to make lives better, the vICU can provide expert virtual care 24 hours a day.

Our vICU is a centralized command center staffed by ICU nurses and doctors who use predictive technology and cameras to oversee and monitor every ICU patients’ condition. By adding an extra layer of support to our local ICU clinical teams, we are better able to help our patients return to good health. The vICU team uses cutting-edge technology to virtually monitor each patient 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

vICU is available at many BayCare hospitals, including those in Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Dunedin, Safety Harbor and New Port Richey. For additional information, ask the hospital staff or your physician about BayCare’s vICU program. Learn more about vICU and how it works from physicians and nurses in this video.