Articles

April 29, 2020

Coronavirus pandemic spurs increase in telemedicine

REGIONAL HEALTH COMMAND-PACIFIC — By Christopher Larsen April 29, 2020 Restrictions put in place to help control spread of the novel coronavirus have resulted in a large increase in telemedicine appointments, according to providers across the region. “Currently, for RHC-P on-island, all MTFs are using telemedicine in one form or another,” said Michelle Huml-VanZile, synchronous program director at Honolulu's Tripler Army Medical Center. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, telemedicine is the practice of medicine using technology to deliver care at a distance. A provider in one location uses a video setup to deliver care to a patient at another site, likely their home. Regional Health Command-Pacific's large geographic area - covering the West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, and Korea - means telemedicine's ability to bridge long distance gaps is a real advantage.

April 20, 2020

Tiny patients and technology

TRIPLER ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, Hawaii — By Kayla Overton, Regional Health Command-Pacific April 20, 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way many go about their daily lives. The challenge is especially great for parents of the tiny newborns who require special care in Tripler Army Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit here. Generally, visitation is supported in the NICU to include siblings and family support, but with COVID-19, extra precautions have been put in place to help protect and safeguard newborns in the NICU. At this time, only essential personnel are allowed in the NICU. With these restrictions in place, some siblings and family members have yet to meet the newest addition to their families.

March 5, 2020

Coronavirus: What You Need to Know

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash — By Mr. Christopher Larsen (Regional Health Command Pacific) March 5, 2020 Novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, continues to spread worldwide. As COVID-19 spreads, so does information about the disease. If one surfs the Internet, everything from scientifically-proven medical information about the virus to debunked conspiracy theories can be found. More than 95,000 cases have been reported worldwide, and COVID-19 has killed more than 3,300 people, mostly in mainland China. The disease has spread wider in Washington state, where ten people have died. A 71-year-old-man in California with underlying health conditions passed away from the disease this week, bringing the nationwide death toll to 11.