(BIVN) – State-of-the-art integrated technology will put the staff at Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu at the bedside of North Hawaii Community Hospital’s sickest patients.

Queen’s Health Systems says the new telemedicine ICU system allows for real-time videoconferencing, and will provide 24/7 monitoring for those who need immediate care by highly specialized physicians. NHCH ICU patient vital signs are continually displayed in the Queen’s ICU on Oahu, the hospital says, while the complete patient chart is visible, exams can be done virtually with advanced videoconferencing located in each patient room, and heart and lung sounds can be heard by the Oahu team thanks to a virtually connected stethoscope.

“The goal is to deliver high quality, patient-centered care where intensive care experts are available at the bedside when the patient needs it. This ensures patients at NHCH have timely access to intensive care specialists in their home community without having to transfer inter-island to Queen’s on Oahu. The telemedicine ICU partnership will improve outcomes by reducing treatment delays and providing state-of-the art care,” said Matthew Koenig, MD, Medical Director of Telemedicine for The Queen’s Health Systems, in a media release.

The new technology allows staff at the NHCH ICU to conduct rounds alongside Punchbowl campus “intensivists” – physicians who specialize in the care of critically ill patients like those in an ICU.

“This new system of care, with North Hawai’i Community Hospital working together with The Queen’s Medical Center, means that we are able to provide the highest quality service to our patients at an extremely critical time,” said Gary Goldberg, MD, Chief Medical Officer, North Hawai’i Community Hospital. “It also means that we can keep more patients close to home – this is good for patients and good for families.”