Florida hospitals connect cloud medical imaging services to save lives
An infant patient’s life was saved at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children because of PowerShare, which shares medical images with connected hospitals, just a click away.
A life‑saving difference
Read the story of how PowerShare across Florida hospitals was a vital part of saving Baby Christian’s life.
- Infant patient presented abnormal abdominal symptoms
- Two hospitals more than 70 miles away needed to collaborate for expedited care
PowerShare Image Sharing
- Physicians were able to assess medical images in real-time via mobile devices
- Pediatric patient was rapidly transferred and treated thanks to cloud medical imaging
Background
Baby Christian was delivered at full term at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Florida. Fewer than 24 hours later he began vomiting and had an abnormal abdomen X‑ray. Given the nature of the pediatric emergency situation, Holmes Regional knew Baby Christian needed the specialty and resources provided more than 70 miles away at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando.
The facility includes Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, which is one of the nation’s largest and most successful neonatal intensive care units. It also includes Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, which is the first facility in Central Florida to provide emergency care exclusively for pediatrics and home to the area’s only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center.
Just a few clicks away
Holmes Regional’s radiology department was able assess and accelerate patient care and sent Baby Christian’s X‑ray to Arnold Palmer Hospital with just a couple clicks of the mouse using Nuance’s cloud‑based PowerShare™ Network. Within seconds, Arnold Palmer Hospital pediatric surgeon Dr. Donald Plumley was able to access the medical image on his laptop at which time he recommend an upper gastrointestinal scan.
Had the two Florida healthcare providers not used the PowerShare Network, Baby Christian likely would have been transferred via ambulance for more than an hour with a CD containing his X‑ray scan. Because the PowerShare Network enables such quick turnaround, Holmes Regional was able to promptly complete the upper GI scan, and send the new medical image back to Arnold Palmer Hospital—saving critical time.
Saving lives on the road
When Dr. Plumley received the scan, he was in his car on the highway. He immediately pulled his vehicle over and opened the PowerShare mobile app on his iPad to view the image. The upper GI scan revealed that Christian’s bowels were twisted and cutting off blood flow, requiring emergency surgery. Dr. Plumley tapped his iPad app to instantly share the scan with his colleagues at Winnie Palmer Hospital who were able to accept the transfer. Shortly thereafter, the tiny patient and parents arrived via medic helicopter and was rushed to the operating room, which had already been prepped specifically for Baby Christian’s case due to the rapid accessibility of the medical images.
Two years later, Baby Christian is a happy, healthy toddler with two very grateful parents.