CentraCare helps treat heart failure patients at Rice Memorial Hospital

CentraCare Heart and Vascular Center, combines telehealth technology and clinical expertise to bring local care for congestive heart failure to a higher level. Addressing the needs of rural patients, a patient in rural Willmar, Minnesota and a clinician in St. Cloud can see and speak to each other via the two-way connection. From St. Cloud, a mini-camera can be manipulated to get a close-up look at the patient’s ankles to check for swelling. Heart and lung sounds through a stethoscope in Willmar are transmitted to St. Cloud where the clinician can hear them through headphones.