Maryland's first telemetry unit in a chronic hospital opened at Levindale last week. This unit provides heart monitoring for patients who require specialized medical care and treatment for serious illnesses and/or injuries.
Each patient’s blood pressure, breathing rate, heart rate and blood oxygen levels are continuously monitored as part of this highly specialized care. The telemetry unit is designed for patients who have arrhythmia, syncope, chest pain, electrolytes imbalance and/or congestive heart failure.
“Levindale saw a need in the community for this kind of cardiac care to manage acute patients,” says Dean A. Smith, RN, BSN. “Close monitoring of this kind complements the other therapies that our patients receive. These can include ventilator-dependency, chest tube management and tracheostomy suction.”
Levindale’s high intensity telemetry unit also treats other complex-medical conditions that require IV medications, PICC lines, dialysis, wound care and rehabilitative services, TPN and additional nutritional interventions.
There are a total of 20 beds in the telemetry unit. Patients who are 18 or older may be admitted directly from intensive care units (ICUs) and intermediate care units (IMCs).
The telemetry unit’s highly trained staff consists solely of on-site doctors, as well as respiratory therapists and registered nurses (RNs)- who are certified in Advanced Cardio Life Support (ACLS). The ratio of nurses to patients is five to one.
Services are also coordinated with an on-site pharmacy and lab. Physical, occupational, speech and therapeutic therapies are also a big part of the treatment.
The telemetry unit is part of the Specialty Hospital at Levindale, which is a licensed 120-bed hospital that is Joint Commission and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accredited.
To learn more about Levindale, call 410-601-WELL (9355).
-Helene King
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