Penn State Health to Pioneer Next-Generation Virtual ICUs with CLEW Medical's AI Powered Cloud-based Platform

Bringing virtualICU services in-house and offering them to both owned and referral hospitals in the region, to better manage capacity and address provider shortages driven by prolonged pandemic and burnout

HERSHEY, Pa. , Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --  Penn State Health today announced that it has executed an agreement – and begun implementation - to offer virtual intensive care units – or vICU – utilizing CLEW Medical's cloud-based tele-ICU platform. Utilizing clinicians from Penn State Health "behind the camera," the new service is expected to be live in late September and will initially cover 174 adult ICU and intermediate care beds at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center.

The COVID-19 pandemic drove demand for critical care beds and demands on ICU clinicians – to all-time highs, leading to large numbers of caregivers burning out and/or leaving their roles. Sites supported by vICUs are better able to withstand surges in demand and offer greater support to bedside caregivers.

The first of its kind to be granted 510(k) clearance, CLEW ICU leverages advanced AI technology to identify patients that are most and least likely to deteriorate in the near future and streamlines workflow to improve communications, decision making, and care implementation. Penn State Health will use the system's powerful technology to improve clinical outcomes, lower costs, and enhance the provider, patient, and family experience.

Penn State Health already plans to expand their vICU to cover additional facilities in the Penn State Health system – such as the new Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center and Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center – as well as other hospitals and health systems that contract for Penn State Health's vICU services. "The new vICU service will expand the range of virtual care services we offer, including the region's first Home Recovery Care program," according to Chris LaCoe, DBA, RN, FACHE, Vice President of Virtual Health for Penn State Health. "CLEW's ability to support all major EHR and patient monitoring platforms means we will be able to easily extend the service to other hospitals and health systems, regardless of their specific configurations."      

Not all vICU Software is the same, and CLEW delivers rapid situational awareness with minimal false alarms that improves the ability of clinicians to proactively manage the best possible outcomes for its critically ill patients.

"I am eager and excited to see how CLEW's software will perform with the goal of augmenting and streamlining the already exceptional care being provided at the bedside" said Dr. Will Hazard, Medical Director of vICU at Penn State Health.

About Penn State Health:
Penn State Health is a multi-hospital health system serving patients and communities across 29 counties in central Pennsylvania. It employs more than 17,150 people systemwide. The system includes Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health Children's Hospital and Penn State Cancer Institute based in Hershey, Pa.; Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center in Enola, Pa.; Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill, Pa.; Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center in Reading, Pa.; and more than 3,000 physicians and direct care providers at 90+ unique medical office locations. Additionally, the system jointly operates various health care providers, including Penn State Health Rehabilitation Hospital, Hershey Outpatient Surgery Center, Hershey Endoscopy Center, Horizon Home Healthcare and Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute. In December 2017, Penn State Health partnered with Highmark Health to facilitate creation of a value-based, community care network in the region. Penn State Health shares an integrated strategic plan and operations with Penn State College of Medicine, the University's medical school.

About CLEW:
CLEW provides real-time AI analytics platforms designed to help providers make better informed clinical decisions by predicting life-threatening complications across various medical care settings. CLEW's goal is to provide solutions that could improve outcomes and safety, streamline patient care, improve capacity, and support the needs of bedside caregivers and patients' families, ultimately lowering the cost of care. Originally developed and proven in the ICU, CLEW will develop machine learning models that have the potential to optimize clinical resources and guide health care providers in predicting patient deterioration across all care settings. Connect with us at www.clewmed.com on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/clewmed/, and on Twitter @CLEWMedical. 

SOURCE CLEW