The Challenge
A Texas critical access hospital (CAH) was limited in its ability to provide nephrology care for patients with chronic kidney disease. With no on-site nephrologists or specialized renal care resources, patients were routinely transferred to urban medical centers when needing hospitalization—an 80-mile journey each way. These transfers resulted in delayed treatment, increased risks of adverse outcomes, and significant travel burdens for patients and their families. Furthermore, the hospital’s inability to retain and care for these patients locally hindered care continuity and its mission of community service. The hospital required a feasible solution to deliver high-quality telenephrology services that enhanced patient outcomes and kept patient care local.
The Solution
Recognizing the increasing need for specialized renal care, hospital leadership evaluated multiple strategies, including partnerships with local nephrologists. Ultimately, the hospital chose TeleNeph for its ability to deliver 24/7 access to board-certified nephrologists, response times within 10 minutes, and comprehensive clinical support tailored to the hospital. TeleNeph’s relationship-focused approach ensured seamless onboarding and ongoing operational support, empowering the hospital’s clinicians to deliver high-quality nephrology care safely and efficiently, and keep care local.
The Results
Within the first year of partnering with TeleNeph, the hospital surpassed all initial projections:
- admitting 88 patients with chronic kidney disease—a 47% increase over projected admissions
- treating 159 patients—a 77% increase over expectations
- eliminating 15,000 patient travel miles for the 88 admitted patients who would have otherwise faced lengthy transfers
The TeleNeph program improved clinical outcomes and helped the hospital establish its role as a trusted provider of specialized renal care in the community. These outcomes validate the efficacy of a telenephrology solution in strengthening rural health systems and advancing equitable access to nephrology services.
TeleNeph is the leading provider of telenephrology. Contact us to learn how we can help your hospital exceed expectations and keep care local.