Mary Washington Healthcare Launches Virtual Nursing Program at Stafford Hospital

Fredericksburg, VA (May 16, 2023) – Mary Washington Healthcare is pleased to announce its new virtual nursing program at Stafford Hospital. This innovative new program allows Registered Nurses (RNs) working from a virtual operations command center located on Stafford Hospital’s campus to field patient care tasks that do not require hands-on care, using synchronous, video-enabled engagement at the patient bedside.

The virtual nursing program aims to improve patient safety and reduce strain on clinicians, allowing bedside RNs to focus on direct patient care and their full scope of practice. The program provides patients with additional opportunities for patient education during their stay and makes it easier to involve family members in care discussions, even if they cannot be there in person. The program also allows for immediate access to interpreter services for continuity of patient experience. Patients can expect an integrative and collaborative experience with their clinical team, allowing for a seamless transition from the inpatient to home settings.

“Virtual Nursing is a way to support our commitment to improving the health of the community we serve by enhancing the patient’s experience and providing additional support to our clinicians,” says Debra Marinari, Associate Vice President of Hospital Operations at Mary Washington Healthcare’s Stafford Hospital. “Our commitment to innovative patient care allows us to positively impact patient safety, and provide the best possible experience for both our patients and caregivers”

“Inpatient Virtual Nursing will allow us to leverage technology to implement flexible care delivery models, simultaneously enhancing quality and experience for patients while providing additional support for our bedside caregivers,” says Christopher Newman, MD, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer at Mary Washington Healthcare. “It will also allow us to modernize what patient care looks like while improving our ability to manage variability in day-to-day capacity challenges.”

The virtual nursing program is the latest step in a series of technological health innovation programs at Mary Washington Healthcare. Additional efforts include robotics-based support for point-to-point supply management as well as plans to expand hybrid care models that blend in-person and virtual care to outpatient settings. The virtual nursing program launches at Stafford Hospital, with plans to expand to Mary Washington Hospital later this year.

To learn more about Mary Washington Healthcare’s Virtual Nursing Program, click here.

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About Mary Washington Healthcare:

Mary Washington Healthcare is a fully integrated, regional medical system that provides inpatient and outpatient care through more than 50 facilities and services including Mary Washington Hospital, a 471-bed regional medical center, and Stafford Hospital, a 100-bed community hospital. Mary Washington Healthcare is a not-for-profit health system with a longstanding commitment to provide care regardless of ability to pay. For more information about our services and facilities, please visit www.mwhc.com.