SRTC Nursing Students Benefit from State of the Art Technology

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SRTC Telehealth Unit


Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) was recently able to procure some of the latest technology available to healthcare providers. The College is now the proud owner of two multi-faceted telehealth units. While not entirely new, telehealth is still a burgeoning industry, especially in rural areas. Telehealth encompasses a broad variety of technologies and tactics that allows providers to deliver virtual medical, health, and education services. Telehealth is not a specific service, rather a collection of methods to enhance care and education.

“SRTC is one of the few colleges that actually have this type of equipment available to our students. The College was recently able to purchase two units: one each for our Thomasville and Tifton locations. The new technology will be utilized during the physical assessment class and some portions of the fundamental courses at each location. Faculty involved in these courses will attend specialized training on July 10 to learn how to best utilize the technology with our existing curriculum. Additionally, the College would like to partner with healthcare providers in our local communities to offer a certification in telemedicine / telehealth. I am beyond excited for the opportunity to expand our student’s knowledge in telemedicine / telehealth, as it represents the future of medical care,” commented Tammy Bryant, ASN Program Chair for Southern Regional Technical College.

The new unites purchased by SRTC consist of three parts: the ability to video conference in the Global Partnership for Telehealth network, a Horus Scope to present images, and Littmann Telesteth to present heart and lung sounds.

The Global Partnership for TeleHealth is a non-profit agency based on experience and knowledge gained from years of creating and maintaining telemedicine programs, and made possible by advanced telecommunications, software and equipment. The hallmark of the Global Partnership for TeleHealth is the Open Access Network, a web of national and international strategic partnership clinical access points with successful existing telemedicine programs. This comprehensive network also supports the creation of new telemedicine locations to maximize opportunities for timely specialty services across the globe.

The Horus Scope, designed specifically for telemedicine, is an easy-to-use hand-held video system used for capturing images of the body. This system utilizes interchangeable attachments making it ideal for multi discipline medical applications. Attachments for ear nose & throat, dermatology, ophthalmology, audiology, women's health, and general examinations are just a few of the potentials of this unique system.

This system incorporates High Resolution (1080p) camera technology and offers multiple video output options for connection to your conferencing system. Still images and videos can also be captured with just the touch of a button and transferred seamlessly to a laptop or PC for store and forward applications.

3M™ Littmann® TeleSteth™ Online Auscultation System was developed to extend the practice of auscultation (listening with a stethoscope to situations and environments where face-to-face encounters are not always convenient or feasible. This platform allows healthcare professionals to share heart, lung and other body sounds with colleagues located across the globe using the internet or a private network. The TeleSteth™ System is designed to be accessed from a user’s PC and is compatible with the 3M™ Littmann® StethAssist® Heart and Lung Sound Visualization Software.

“We at Southern Regional Technical College continue to ensure that our faculty and students have the opportunity to teach, learn, and train on state-of-the art equipment. Our acquisition of the telemedicine units is another indication of this. We are fortunate to have this technology at our Thomasville and Tifton campuses, and in the near future, we will be purchasing a unit for our Moultrie campus. We are certainly excited about the educational opportunities this equipment will present to our nursing students,” commented Dr. Craig Wentworth, President of Southern Regional Technical College.

The Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program is designed to prepare students as entry-level practitioners to provide safe, effective nursing care and promote healthy transitions for diverse clients in a variety of settings. This program develops critical thinking, integrates accumulated knowledge from nursing, the sciences and humanities, and emphasizes the values of caring, accountability, responsibility and professional ethics. The SRTC ASN program has been granted approval by the Georgia Board of Nursing and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

SRTC offers over 148 degree, diploma, and certificate programs that are designed to get you quickly into your desired career, and 27 general education courses that transfer to the University System of Georgia institutions and 19 private colleges and universities in Georgia. SRTC has instructional sites located in Ashburn, Cairo, Camilla, Moultrie, Thomasville, Tifton, and Sylvester for the convenience of our students. The College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SACSCOC is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. For the most up-to-date information on registration, class dates, and program offerings, log on to www.southernregional.edu.

Fall Semester 2018 begins August 22nd. Don’t wait, enroll today!


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