The Verizon Foundation Donates $100,000 to Launch Telemedicine Pilot Program at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia announces a grant of $100,000 from Verizon Foundation to launch a Telemedicine Pilot Program dedicated to providing pediatric specialty consultations to community hospitals.

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"Thanks to the support of The Verizon Foundation's funding, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia will be able to embark on a Telemedicine pilot program with the goal of providing top caliber pediatric expertise to children, no matter where they live, through their community hospital," said Michael Apkon, chief medical officer of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Telemedicine, through medical grade video conferencing applications, has the promise of bringing pediatric specialists to points of care where their expertise can facilitate diagnosis and treatment in a way that transcends geography.  This pilot phase will be conducted in partnership with community hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

"Verizon is proud to overcome medical health care barriers of distance, time or availability of doctors and nurses through the use of technology," said Douglas R. Smith, vice president of State Government Affairs, Verizon Pennsylvania.  "We are proud to partner with CHOP, a leading health care institution who shares the No. 1 spot on U.S. News & World Report's Honor Roll of the nation's Best Children's Hospitals and whom we are fortunate to have located here in the greater Philadelphia region, to pilot the delivery of patient services, diagnosis and treatment through video conferencing.  It's exciting and a win-win for all!"   

The pilot program is designed to test the applicability of consultation services in the community hospital setting for intensive care services; neonatal intensive care; inpatient pediatric care; neurology consultation; genetics consultation and in the emergency department.  The goal of Children's Hospital's Telemedicine Program is to improve the quality and safety of care for children by offering a level of pediatric expertise not available at community hospitals, and to reduce the numbers of patients transferred for specialty evaluations when appropriate care could be delivered at the originating hospital.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 516-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.

Media Contact: Rachel Salis-Silverman
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SOURCE The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia