High-tech hospice.

It’s eight o’clock Thursdaynight whenregisterednurse,Stella Dodge’s telephonerings announcinganother probablecrisis for oneof herterminally ill, homecarepatients. And in fact it’s a patient’sson, who havingnoted his father’sseverediscomfort,placed thecall tothehospiceon-callnursefor help. Quickly referencinga detailed patientstatusreport shekeepsby her phone,Stella reviews the patient’s standingandPRN medicationorders andsuggests everalalternativesto alleviate the patients discomfort, and continuestoreassuretheyoungmanas he executesher suggestions.After severalminutesthe problem subsides to the youngman’s relief. But before hangingup, he expresseshis appreciation at the promptassistancethat she has provided to his father. Stella, pleasedwith the outcomeof the call hangsup her cellulartelephone,turns hercartdowntheproduceisleandcontinuesherweeklygroceryshopping. No, it’s not sciencefiction, it’s reality and it’s a part of how the Hospice of SouthwestMissouri in Springfield,Missouri is respondingto its patient’s critical needsutilizing state-of-the-art cellulartelephonetechnology to improveresponsetimeduring afterhoursoperation.Theon-call, or after hoursnurse,carriesa battery powered,cellulartelephoneaboutthe sizeof alunchboxandcanbereached immediatelybypatients,caregiversor physicians.Of coursethis means hospicecallersareno longerforcedto be processedthrough the frustrating mazeof telephonerecorders,answering services or pagercodestypical when calling home care or clinical agenciesafterhours. Stella Dodge hasbeenone of the principalsinvolved in this innovative new cellular responseserviceandhas seenfirsthandthedramaticdifference thisrecentchangeinservicehashadon her patientsin comparisonto the previoustraditional method. “They (the callers) seemvery surprisedwhen I answerthe phoneand identify myselfas the hospicenurse,” saidStellarelatingsomeof hercaller’s reactionsto the innovativeprogram. ‘It’s like they really can’t believe it’s not ananswering service or machine or something.And whentheyfindout it really isalive nurse, rightthereandready to help, they’re appreciativeandseem very relieved.” When asked abouttheinconvenienceof carryingthe cellular telephone aroundor aboutgetting calls in public placeslike the grocery store, Stella’s face getsalittle red as sheanswers. ‘Well, at first I wasalittle selfconscious about carrysystem. ing it or talkingon it out in public. But then,aftera couple of peopleaskedme aboutit andI told themwhoI wasandwhatI wasdoing, theyseemedimpressedthat I andmy organizationwere that concerned aboutourpatients’care, which made mefeelprettygood.Besides,”shecontinuedwitha veryseriouslook, “when a nursehasto go out in the middleof the night to take careof a patient,it’s GREAT having a telephonewith you just incasethereareanyproblems.” When questionedabout the introduction of the high-techconceptMr. RickWilliams,theChiefExecutiveOfficer of HospiceSouthwestand a former hospital administratorand entrepreneurtold me, “The financial advantages of theequipmentwerehnmediatelyforeseeablejustin the cost savings for monthly answeringservices and pagerexpensesthatwill more than make up the price of a cellular telephoneinlessthan a year. Plus, our faster responsehas receivedalotofpositive commentsfrom ourpatientsandphysicians with whom we regularly work. And the on-callstaff feels better about having to travel at night. It goeswithout sayingthatbetterpatient and physician responseequatesto better patient care and physicianrelations. Staff satisfaction equatesto betteremployeerelations and retention. Thoseare the kinds of intangible returns that you just can’t put a dollarvalue on.” What aboutthe fact that a lot of peoplestill associatecellularormobile phoneswith big corporationsandjetsettersandnotanon-profitcommunity service agencylike HospiceSouthwest? “Unfortunately,manypeopledon’t realize thatjust becausewe’re a notBetty Carnaham, RN, using the Hospiceof Southwest Missouri cellular telephone