For Immediate Release:

Thursday, June 21, 2007

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that she has included $250,000 for telemonitoring capabilities at Community Home Health & Hospice in Longview.  Senator Murray included the funding in the Labor, Health, Human Services and Education (LHHS) Appropriations bill – the annual spending bill that funds healthcare priorities. Senator Murray is a senior member of the LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee. 

"This funding will provide new technology which will enable Community Home Health & Hospice to provide patients with increased monitoring, nurses with better information, and Southwest Washington residents with higher quality care," said Senator Murray. "Telemonitoring is proven to reduce hospitalization rates and has helped hospices monitor more patients. I am pleased to continue to support innovative technologies that increase healthcare access in Southwest Washington."

Telemonitors are placed in patients' homes and prompt them to take their vital signs on at least a daily basis.  The data is that is generated is then immediately transmitted to a specially-trained registered nurse who reviews the information and determines the best course of action for that patient.  

Telemonitors allow nurses to handle a greater patient load (25-30% increase) while providing a higher quality of care.  The funding provided by Senator Murray will pay for 50 of 150 telemonitors needed to fully implement a Home Health Telemonitoring System.  

Now that Murray's funding has passed the committee, it will move to the full Senate floor for consideration.  Senator Murray will continue to use her position in the Senate to improve healthcare access, affordability and innovation for residents throughout Washington state.