KEMMERER — Open 24/7, the Emergency Room at South Lincoln Medical Center is equipped to handle any patient that comes through the door. However, access to a second set of eyes and ears can be beneficial in critical cases. This is why South Lincoln Hospital District entered into a partnership with Avel eCare — a telemedicine provider that supports hospitals around the country — to receive virtual Emergency services. The new emergency telemedicine program, funded by a $189,254 grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust’s Rural Health Program, went live on December 7.

At the push of a button, our local physicians and emergency room staff now have immediate, virtual access to Avel’s team of board-licensed physicians and expert nurses who specialize in emergency medicine. This will positively impact patient care in a variety of ways, including:

• Consistent Coverage: Access to board-certified emergency physicians 24 hours a day

• Access: Connects rural communities to highly trained specialists

• Timeliness: Activation of emergency transport teams as early as possible

• Second Set of Hands: Additional support during multiple emergencies

• Keep Care Local: Fewer transfers so patients can stay close to home

• Partner in Care: Collaborative approach allows local caregivers to focus exclusively on patient care

“South Lincoln Hospital District is deeply committed to ensuring members of our local community receive the best care and attention possible. We have a trusted medical team here in Kemmerer who offer excellent care and our goal is to make sure these individuals have the right resources, support, and tools at their disposal to continue their great work — a goal that is met by partnering with Avel eCare. We greatly appreciate the assistance of the Helmsley Charitable Trust to make this possible,” said Dave Ryerse, CEO of South Lincoln Hospital District. 

Since it was first founded in 1993 to provide expanded specialty care access to rural areas, Avel eCare has developed one of the most robust telemedicine networks in the United States. Its team of doctors, nurses, clinicians, and other medical professionals are all deeply committed to their mission of delivering high quality care to patients when and where it is needed, and currently serve more than 650 facilities across 32 states. In all, Avel has helped local care teams treat millions of patients. 

“We look forward to partnering with staff at South Lincoln Hospital District to assist in delivering unmatched telemedicine services 24/7/365. Avel eCare couples sophisticated technology with a spirit of collaboration and partnership — all with the goal of improving access to quality health care,” said Doug Duskin, CEO of Avel eCare. 

To learn more about health care services at South Lincoln Hospital District, visit

www.southlincolnmedical.com. To learn more about Avel eCare, visit www.avelecare.com.    

About the Helmsley Charitable Trust 

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $3.5 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. Helmsley’s Rural Healthcare Program funds innovative projects that use information technologies to connect rural patients to emergency medical care, bring the latest medical therapies to patients in remote areas, provides state-of-the-art training for rural hospitals and EMS personnel, and expands access to behavioral health services. To date, this program has awarded more than $600 million to organizations and initiatives in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Minnesota, Iowa, Montana, and Nevada. For more information, visit www.helmsleytrust.org.