Henry Ford Health’s Virtual ICU Program

The launch of Henry Ford Health’s Virtual ICU (vICU) program is a prime example of how the system is exploring ways to better support team members while improving patient outcomes. First starting at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, then Macomb, West Bloomfield and soon-to-be Jackson, the vICU telemedicine program is the first of its kind in the entire state. While nurses tend at the bedside to ICU patients at these locations, an additional team of critical care nurses monitors those patients 24-7 from a centralized hub. Using specialized tools and analytics, the vICU clinicians provide real-time insight into the ICU patients’ conditions, which supports bedside nurses tremendously and the virtual clinicians can also round and provide other support to ICU staff around the clock. Additionally, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day, board-certified intensivists monitor patients virtually and provide collaborative care alongside the team at the bedside. Through providing this round-the-clock resource to our ICU clinicians, the Henry Ford Health team has seen increased engagement and improved retention of its ICU nurses.