VirtuAlly Commends MUSC for Launching a Framework for Measuring Virtual Nursing Value

MUSC and Manatt Health report draws on the program VirtuAlly's virtual nurses support across 57 units in South Carolina

CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Many hospitals that have adopted virtual nursing still struggle to demonstrate its value. The work touches many roles and units, and the results rarely show up cleanly in standard reports. A new framework from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Manatt Health, Demonstrating the Value of Virtual Nursing: Measurement Framework and Toolkit for Health Systems, gives leaders a consistent way to measure it, so they can make the case for funding, improve their programs and expand to more units.

VirtuAlly, one of the first virtual nursing organizations to achieve Joint Commission accreditation, commends MUSC and Manatt Health for introducing the framework. VirtuAlly's virtual nurses staff the MUSC program and have supported MUSC bedside teams since the program's pilot in 2023.

The report organizes measurement around four areas: care team experience, patient experience, population health and cost. It includes sample KPIs for each area, guidance on setting up an evaluation, and a list of metrics programs can use at any stage.

"Our nurses have been the driving force behind MUSC's virtual nursing program since day one, and we've seen firsthand the difference it makes for bedside teams and patients," said Joe Wechsler, CEO of VirtuAlly. "Health systems need evidence to guide their investments. This framework gives them a credible way to measure and demonstrate the value of virtual nursing, and we welcome the accountability it brings."

The framework draws on the growth of MUSC's program from five inpatient units to 57 units in four regions, where VirtuAlly nurses work with bedside teams on admissions, discharges, patient education and documentation. MUSC identified admissions support, discharge teaching and documentation compliance as the program's highest-impact uses. On one regional unit, virtual nurses took over discharge education and reached roughly 72% of discharges within five months.

VirtuAlly brings the same model to health systems nationwide, helping them choose KPIs from the framework, set baselines before go-live and report results across all four areas.

Highlights from the MUSC report

According to the report, MUSC's virtual nursing program has produced:

• More time at the bedside: 76% of bedside nurses reported spending less time on admission and discharge documentation, and 68% reported having more time to round on patients
• Lighter workloads: 87% of bedside nurses reported a decrease in overall workload; bedside satisfaction with virtual nursing averaged 4.41 out of 5.
• Stronger retention: Turnover on early-adopter units fell from 47% in FY24 to 30% in FY25, an estimated $2.4 million in savings.
• Added capacity: 23,516 virtual nursing visits in 2024, equal to about 10.2 full-time nursing positions.
• Fulfilled virtual nurses: 100% of virtual nurses were satisfied or very satisfied with the program.

"Behind every number in this report is a nurse," said Angel Bozard, Chief Nursing Officer at VirtuAlly. "It's a virtual nurse catching a missing wound care order, or walking a family through discharge instructions. It's a bedside nurse who finally has time to round. That's the work that turns a virtual nursing program into better care."

About VirtuAlly

VirtuAlly is the virtual clinical care team built to extend the capabilities of bedside nurses, strengthen patient safety, and deliver outcomes that health systems can measure. Born out of the Medical University of South Carolina, one of only two federally recognized Telehealth Centers of Excellence in the country, VirtuAlly is among the first virtual nursing organizations to achieve Joint Commission accreditation. That standing reflects a standard of clinical rigor built into every service we deliver. Our 24/7 services include virtual nursing, telesitting, telemetry monitoring, and clinical intelligence, giving frontline teams the experienced clinical backup they need to care for patients and support bedside nurses. We partner with leading technology platforms to bring virtual care into the systems and workflows hospitals already use, so care teams get support without added complexity. Hospitals and health systems across the country rely on VirtuAlly to meet the real demands of today's care environment.

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SOURCE VirtuAlly