Grossman Burn Centers, West Hills, California, USA
Grossman Burn Centers (GBC) are plastic surgery-based medical centers specializing in the comprehensive treatment of burns -- from acute care and reconstruction, to rehabilitation and psychological counseling.
What makes GBC so successful is their unique approach to treatment. Most burn centers in the U.S. exist in teaching hospitals that require residents to complete a short rotation in the burn unit and essentially learn burn care on the job with each patient.
At Grossman, physicians and nurses are rigorously trained in the delicate art of burn treatment and are among the most skilled and experienced plastic and reconstructive surgeons and healthcare professionals. GBC contracts with hospitals in communities that lack sufficient burn care resources to provide their brand of world-class plastic surgery-based burn care.
Founded in 1969 by Dr. A. Richard Grossman, the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills, California is the largest plastic surgery-based burn practice in the western United States. The practice has facilities across California and one in Louisiana, with a national expansion underway to open additional burn centers throughout the U.S.
As GBC began to expand across the U.S., specialized staff in remote facilities needed to confer with one another in real time. Digital photos of a patient’s burns and a verbal description over the phone were too limiting: To make informed medical decisions at a distance, specialists needed to consult with colleagues privately with the highest quality video experience possible, then move the communications system into the patient’s room.
GBC explored Web-based video applications, but these lacked the quality and functionality they required to accurately view and analyze each patient’s delicate burn injury. The organization required a communications tool that offered true-to-life HD video quality while being simple to operate, flexible for mobile environments, and cost-effective.
Over a period of nine months, Grossman Burn Centers evaluated and tested all of the major video conferencing manufacturers’ products. LifeSize was chosen for its high quality, ease of use, flexibility and unmatched total cost of ownership.
“LifeSize was open to exploration,” said Roy Forbes, director of business development at Grossman Burn Centers. “We wanted to create a different type of healthcare application, one that was portable, wireless, and could be taken from patient room to operating room to emergency room without a lot of fuss. LifeSize was the clear winner.”
GBC chose the LifeSize® Express™ HD video system to power the video, while a mobile cart, camera mounting plate, and wireless bridge connectivity rounded out the customized solution. LifeSize systems are now deployed in all of the organization’s locations, with several additional units in doctors’ homes, including Dr. Grossman’s residence in Los Angeles.
In the middle of the night, a patient comes into the ER after a house fire has left him with severe second and third degree burns. The locally-based physician on duty, who is trained in burn care, decides that he wants a second opinion due to the particularly sensitive location of the injury. He picks up the LifeSize remote and dials Dr. Grossman in his home, 1,500 miles away. Dr. Grossman examines the patient and comforts him, telling him not to worry. He is optimistic that a very positive outcome can be achieved.
This scenario is now a reality for Grossman Burn Centers and its partner hospitals. The organization’s team approach to surgery and expertise in special surgical procedures significantly speeds medical diagnoses and time spent in the operating room, resulting in reduced stress and trauma for both patients and their families. Now with HD video conferencing, specialists can provide the right care in the right place at the right time.
But for Forbes, it’s the quality of the connection that makes video conferencing so meaningful for their practice.
“LifeSize HD video enhances our credibility,” he said. “The amazing quality is the key and patients are blown away by the lifelike experience. The last thing you want to do is add to the anxiety the patient is feeling in a traumatic situation. This is a supplement to the clinical care we provide – it is not a substitute for human interaction, but enhances our commitment to compassionate care, even when we can’t be there in person.”
GBC’s dispersed locations also conduct weekly rounding, regular staff meetings and face-to-face interactions and training with Dr. Grossman -- all via LifeSize HD video conferencing.
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