Donavon Hess, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., pediatric surgeon and Robert
Acton, M.D., pediatric surgeon.

Pediatric surgery telemedicine in St. Cloud

Through a new and unique telemedicine collaboration that began in November 2008, University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital pediatric surgeons serve as a medical resource to physicians at St. Cloud Hospital.

Pediatric surgeons, Robert Acton, M.D., Donavon Hess, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., and Daniel Saltzman, M.D., Ph.D., provide consultations — when needed — to St. Cloud Hospital physicians who are caring for children who are critically ill or injured. All of our participating surgeons have credentialing privileges at St. Cloud Hospital.

How the collaboration works

When St. Cloud Hospital physicians want additional consultation on a child’s medical case, they can contact our pediatric surgeons by simply calling 888-KIDSUMN (888-543-7866). To help assist with case discussions, our physicians can access the patients’ medical records and imaging studies (at St. Cloud Hospital) through a dedicated laptop computer.

Since the program began more than nine months ago, our pediatric surgeons and St. Cloud Hospital physicians have collaborated on five cases. “This partnership between University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital and St. Cloud Hospital is aimed at enhancing pediatric specialty care for patients in central Minnesota,” says Daniel Saltzman, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Pediatric Surgery at University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital.

Program benefits

• Collaborative health care expertise
• Collaborating specialists have access to patient information, such as lab results, within seconds.
• Patients receive a continuum of high-quality care close to home
• Allows for seamless transfer of care to University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital, if needed

This innovative partnership is the first in a series of similar projects to roll out during the next several months.

For more information about this pediatric surgery telemedicine partnership, contact Deb Hall, R.N., F.A.H.M., director of St. Cloud Hospital Women’s and Children’s Center Outreach, at 320-229-5139 or HallDe@centracare.com.