To ease the burden on respiratory therapists and others caring for ventilated patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, Yale New Haven (Conn.) Healthinstituted a surveillance system for its ventilators. By using Wi-Fi to connect the previously stand-alone devices to the health system’s information technology network, the system allows supervisors to monitor the ventilators remotely and provide support to staff as needed. Initially 60 ventilators were hooked up to the system. Yale New Haven Health, which has five acute care hospitals in Connecticut and Rhode Island, plans to have remote monitoring in place for 270 ventilators by the end of the year.(HealthLeaders Media story, 5/15/20)
