Trinity Health Livonia Launches Revolutionary Virtual Nursing Program to Support Bedside Care and Develop Caregiver Careers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Von Lozon
248-725-2400
Von.Lozon@trinity-health.org
 
LIVONIA, Mich. (June 13, 2024) – Trinity Health Livonia has launched TogetherTeam Virtual Connected Care™, an innovative care model from Trinity Health that supports patients in select units with a three-person care team — a Registered Nurse (RN), an RN partner such as a Patient Care Technician (PCT) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and a virtual Registered Nurse (vRN).

TogetherTeam Virtual Connected Care revolutionizes patient care through a technology-driven, team-based approach. The closely-knit trio enhances patient engagement while supporting direct care staff. With a proven track record across various Trinity Health facilities nationwide, this model not only optimizes care delivery, but also boosts job satisfaction and offers career progression opportunities for nurses at any career stage.

Virtual nurses are located on local campuses as opposed to an off-site location. They are an integral member of the care team with the ability to access complete medical records and perform detailed examinations through advanced camera technology. Experienced virtual nurses also play a crucial role in mentoring and supporting direct care nurses, particularly those just entering the profession, providing them with an enriching, highly valuable caregiving experience.

“TogetherTeam Virtual Connected Care will not only enhance the level of care our patients receive, it will also expand career pathways for experienced nurses to be part of a transformational team-based delivery model to interact with patients, coordinate complex care, and provide mentoring to early career nurses,” said Nick Nickolopoulos, the chief nursing officer at Trinity Health Livonia. “Trinity Health has been at the forefront of developing unique ways to build a strong future for nurses. This program is the latest and greatest that will help our nurses perform at the top of their license.”

This model is a key market differentiator, directly confronting nursing workforce challenges. Additionally, it caters to nurses at different career stages, offering a dependable and consistent work setting, and contributing to the cultivation of a robust caregiver pool to meet forthcoming health care demands.

“The TogetherTeam Virtual Connected Care program has received such positive feedback and the results thus far at other Trinity Health hospitals has been tremendous,” said Matthew Griffin, MD, the chief medical officer and lead hospital administrator at Trinity Health Livonia. “This program has a proven track record of delivering high-quality care to patients with a collaborative, team-oriented approach that offers greater resources and support to our nursing teams on the floor. Bringing this highly effective, unique form of care to the communities we serve was an easy decision.”

As of June 2024, TogetherTeam Virtual Connected Care has been deployed in 62 nursing units at 24 Trinity Health hospitals in 11 states. Trinity Health Livonia is the fifth hospital in Michigan to implement vRNs, joining, Trinity Health Ann Arbor, Trinity Health Oakland, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, and Trinity Health Muskegon.

About Trinity Health Michigan
Trinity Health Michigan is a leading health care provider and one of the state’s largest employers. With more than 24,000 full-time employees serving 29 counties, Trinity Health Michigan operates nine hospitals located in Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Howell, Livonia, Muskegon, Pontiac and Shelby, and two medical groups. The health system has 2,314 beds and 5,446 physicians and advanced practice providers. With operating revenues of $4.16 billion, Trinity Health Michigan returns $184 million back to their local communities each year. Together with numerous ambulatory care locations, home health and hospice agencies and 23 senior living communities owned and/or operated by Trinity Health, Trinity Health Michigan provides the full continuum of care for Michigan residents. Trinity Health Michigan is a member of Trinity Health, one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the country serving more than 30 million people across 22 states. www.trinityhealthmichigan.org.