
Trinity Health and the Newtown Ambulance Service are becoming the first rural healthcare providers in the U-S that have complete mobile capability - including video conferencing and live transmission of patient data.
During a news conference this week, Trinity announced the installation of a new invention called "LifeBot."
A portable unit in the ambulance
is connected to a series of computers in the emergency room at Trinity.
This is an advanced tele-medicine system which will allow Trinity's physicians to conduct a virtual exam on a patient who is miles from the hospital.
The physician will determine if the patient can be treated on - the -scene, or else the doctor can have a care-plan in place by the time the patient arrives at Trinity.
(Dr. Jeffrey Sather, Trinity Trauma Director) "The technology give the control to the physicians, they can director a trained paramedic, they are the hands."
(Roger Heath, Inventor) "We give the physicians the power to provide care in the field, a lot faster."
In time, more rural ambulances will likely be equipped with the Life-Bot.
Given North Dakota's rural geography, officials say this technology is a good fit.