Allina Health

Challenge:

Allina Health, primarily serving the St. Paul-Minneapolis area, faced significant hurdles in providing care to rural regions. High-demand specialists, like cardiologists, spent excessive time traveling, reducing their efficiency. Paula Maidl, Manager of Virtual Care Technology, described the inefficiency: “They just realized it was not a real viable thing to do. Driving all over is not a good use of a cardiologist’s time.” Allina Health aimed to enhance operational efficiency and deliver top-notch patient care remotely by expanding their telemedicine services, which began with the TeleStroke program. They needed a scalable, cost-effective telehealth technology solution that did not rely on proprietary hardware.

Solution:

Allina Health partnered with Interactive Digital Solutions (IDS) to deploy a solution centered around VidyoHealth’s platform. This allowed them to quickly introduce services such as TeleHeart, Telehospitalist, Telepsychiatry, and Mental Health Assessment and Referral for emergency departments. The platform’s user-friendly interface, combined with high-quality video and audio, received positive feedback from providers. Its efficient video signal management supported the financial ROI of telehealth technology initiatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the system enabled a rapid increase in virtual visits and facilitated intensive care via telehealth technology. IDS also implemented Ignis Health TRP to centralize and analyze real-time data, allowing Allina Health to monitor and scale telehealth services effectively. Paula Maidl highlighted the system's impact: “The biggest advantage of Ignis Health TRP, especially during the pandemic, was the ability to self-monitor our VidyoHealth license usage so we could scale and adjust based on demand and need.” The platform empowered Allina Health to extend specialized care to rural areas efficiently and cost-effectively.