COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The expected future of health care in the growing telemedicine industry in skilled nursing facilities is now available in Coldwater. The technology is in place and being used at The Laurels of Coldwater.
Dr. Justin Di Rezze, MD is the CEO of Novi, Michigan based 5 Star Telemed and he spoke this week to a Coldwater Noon Rotary meeting. Di Rezze, who founded 5-Star in 2018, told members of the club Tuesday that his company serves over 100 facilities in Michigan and is especially valuable on weekends.
Evaluations are performed in a two-way high definition video encounter in which a doctor in Novi can assess for a facility nurse a patient’s conditions with a remote stethoscope and tele-ultrasound that measures heart EKG’s, blood glucose and blood pressure.
Di Reeze believes telemedicine won’t replace medicine entirely but you’ll see a trend where hospitals will be filled with the very sick ICU type patients and that eventually, you won’t visit a primary care doctor office anymore, unless you’re typically someone who would be in the hospital. Instead, he predicts you’ll see your primary care doctor just via a telemedicine device.
According to Di Reeze, it’s the future of medicine because of a shortage of physicians and other medical professionals. of people going into medicine.
The Laurels of Coldwater this fall received from the Center for Medicare Services a 5 star quality rating which grades patient outcomes.