March 19, 2020
During the 2014-2016 West African Ebola crisis, those that contracted the disease and were placed in mandatory isolation faced a unique set of challenges, including not being able to speak one-on-one with family members, medical professionals, and social services. All visitors needed to wear specialized protective gear, which could take 45 minutes just to remove.
A solution came from the University of Virginia Health System (UVA) in partnership with Cisco to install telehealth communications infrastructure in the US and Africa that allowed patients to communicate with healthcare providers, family, and service providers without the risk of spreading infection, saving time and lives.
The successful application of telehealth solutions during the Ebola crisis changed the way UVA approached crisis communication. And in 2017, treating injuries sustained during the Charlottesville protests, UVA used the same telehealth applications to support hospital communications and streamline the patient intake process.
Read more about how UVA utilized telehealth solutions during crises.