New hospital technology brings loved ones into maternity rooms from afar
CHICAGO (CBS) -- New video technology at a local hospital is helping families stay connected.
As CBS 2's Marybel González reported Tuesday night, even people living in Mexico can help welcome their babies born in the U.S. – in real time.
"If COVID taught us anything, it was the fact that you can't always be present," said Raquel Prendkowski, vice president of patient care at St. Anthony Hospital.
At least you can't always be physically present. But St. Anthony Hospital, in Little Village on the south end of Douglass Park, is making sure family members can still be a part of the birth of the loved ones – even from afar.
"The new technology that we have that we have is Patient Journey," Prendkowski said.
A camera is set up in patient rooms in the maternity ward – and it gives a bird's-eye view of mom and baby using as link and app.
"It's really nice to be able to see the clarity and the connection, and the people that are using it - and how they haven't seen some of these family members in a very long time," Prendkowski said.
It works like a two-way video call, but Prendkowski said it's more practical.
"We just had a mom that had twins, and it's nice because she has both taken up with the babies," Prendkowski said.
The system is also more secure.
"Only the patient is able to give a secure PIN through the TV application," Prendkowski said. "Once the patient leaves, it's completely wiped clean - so somebody can't just call into the room."
Participants get a notification on their cellphone to accept a call – and get dialed in. González tested it out herself in a hospital hallway, and connected successfully to Prendkowski in a patient room.
The service has been in place for about a month now. The majority of patients using it are moms whose families and partners are in Mexico.
We also did a test call with someone living in Mexico now.
"That's the largest population that we serve - and also the largest that is using this technology," Prendkowski said.
And with more migrants arriving in Chicago, the bandwidth for the technology at St. Anthony is expanding.
"We're adding Venezuela and Guatemala within the next – we have about a three-week rollout," Prendkowski said. "It's making sure that the communities we serve reflect the care that we give."