EL DORADO - Medical Center of South Arkansas (MCSA) has announced the implementation of their new telemedicine services allowing patients and hospital-based healthcare providers to connect to physicians specializing in pulmonology, neurology and cardiology. Expanded telemedicine services means that patients will receive rapid high quality specialty care close to home.

This new technology allows MCSA's team to connect with board-certified physicians via secure, high-resolution technology in minutes of a patient arriving to the hospital. On-site nurses and other physicians have access to the highest level of consultation to diagnose and treat patients with neurological disorders including; strokes & epilepsy, respiratory illnesses including; pulmonary diseases and COVID-19, and cardiac conditions including; arrhythmias and congestive heart failure.

The specialists, who appear on a high definition screen, can look closely at a patient's eyes to check the reactivity of the pupils and converse directly with the patient and attending physician in order to diagnose and treat patients quickly and effectively. The cart also carries a microphone-backed stethoscope, which allows the telemedicine physician to listen remotely to heartbeat and blood flows.

Telemedicine services will provide our hospital with 24/7, 365 days a year specialty coverage -- enabling our hospital to keep more patients closer to home and improving access to care."