Motient Supports Newman Regional Health During Delta Variant COVID-19 Surge
Patient Movement Technology Assists Hospitals & Health Systems as They Navigate Alarming Staff Shortages and Care Challenges as the Pandemic Peaks Again
EMPORIA, Kan., – Amid the ongoing surge of COVID-19 cases related to the spread of the Delta variant, Motient, a pioneer in patient movement solutions, remains committed to providing its technological capabilities to assist its healthcare provider partners, including Newman Regional Health.
The Kansas-based critical access hospital has endured the most recent surge of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, with patient admissions nearing the record peaks seen last year at the height of the pandemic. In August, Motient saw a tremendous increase in patients needing a bed in the state of Kansas. Some patients have to travel 10 hours to find the closest hospital with bed availability.
With Newman Regional Health running at 110% of its pre-COVID inpatient acute care capacity, it has been challenging to find an open bed in its own hospital, and made worse by the lack of beds in larger facilities nearby, where patients are routinely sent to receive specialized care.
Motient’s Mission Control solution has been a critical resource for Newman Regional Health throughout the pandemic and especially through the latest surge in cases, offering timely transport options and data capabilities to assess how to get patients the care they need.
Given the immense stress carried by frontline workers during the pandemic, Mission Control has doubled as a bed finder for Newman Regional Health, reaching out to numerous hospitals and lifting the burden off frontline workers.
“The pressure relief valve that Mission Control has offered us during this latest surge of the pandemic has been monumental,” said Dr. Alana (Fearey) Longwell, Chief Medical Officer of Newman Regional Health. “My hospitalists, resource nurses, and bedside nurses love Mission Control because the more resources they have available means they do not have to be on the phone finding beds. This time back is essential for my clinicians to be able to provide the critical care that is so needed right now. Every hour, every minute is indispensable.”
Given how time-consuming the patient transfer process is for hospitals and health systems, Dr. Longwell said having solutions like Mission Control available has a cascading effect of improving working conditions for staff across Newman Regional Health.
The patient movement platform also helps Newman Regional Health collaborate with other providers in Kansas and focus on combatting COVID-19 as a unified, strong entity.
“Collaboration is the bedrock of success in healthcare, and Mission Control enables Newman Regional Health to communicate with hospitals across the state so that transfers can be conducted in a smooth and timely manner,” added Dr. Longwell. “We have been through so much over the past 18 months, and just knowing that there is another resource, another partner to go to across county lines with specialties and knowledge that can benefit our patients, is heartening to no end.”
“We continue to be impressed by the work Newman Regional Health delivers for the communities of central and eastern Kansas during this time of prolonged crisis,” said Dallan Huff, president of Motient. “We know that the pandemic is far from over, and we’re fortunate to be able to support Newman Regional Health and other health systems with Mission Control’s capabilities as they handle yet another surge of COVID-19. We remain steadfast to our commitment to ensuring that our provider partners have patient transfer resources at their disposal in order to spend time where they are needed, and that’s providing vital patient care.”
About Motient:
Motient, a pioneer in patient movement solutions, equips hospitals, hospital systems, healthcare networks, and ACOs with the tools and data required to ensure quality care and value in patient transfers. Led by seasoned healthcare experts and emergency physicians, our team understands the patient transfer pain points, enabling Motient to transform information into relevant insights, actionable data, and enhanced workflows.
