Science & Technology 
Science and Technology
Science and Technology 
Tue, February 10, 2009
Polycom, Inc.: Using Polycom Visual Communication, NuPhysicia Poised to Radically Change Healthcare Delivery
HOUSTON, TX and PLEASANTON, CA--(Marketwire - February 10, 2009) - NuPhysicia LLC relies on Polycom, Inc. (
"Rising costs, physician shortages, and the logistical challenges of delivering medical skills when and where they are needed all plague the global health care system," said Dr. Glenn Hammack, NuPhysicia's CEO. "The options are fairly limited -- patients either travel to obtain care or delay the issue until their illnesses become more serious. Polycom's visual communication solutions are an essential component in our ability to deliver care, independent of time and location."
"Combining the latest Polycom visual communication technology with a decade in real-world telemedicine applications, NuPhysicia has created a solution to bring change to health care," said Joe Sigrist, senior vice president and general manager of visual communications at Polycom. "The NuPhysicia model is a perfect example of how visual communication can erase the barriers of distance and radically transform the challenges we meet today and help shape a better outcome for tomorrow."
Polycom room and personal telepresence solutions provide the foundation for NuPhysicia's systems -- allowing doctors to remotely see patients in extraordinary detail. NuPhysicia's unique medical device configurations allow doctors to clearly hear heartbeats and lung sounds, view X-rays and EKGs as well as see live feeds from hand-held medical cameras.
Employee health programs that actually work for you
Through the use of visual communication and electronic patient medical records, NuPhysicia offers on-site health programs that bring all the capabilities of a physician's office to the patient whether they are at their employer's office location, a retirement community, university, church, correctional institution, or other remote location. Wherever needed, an organization simply provides a room within its facility to serve as a clinic, or "virtual doctor's office," for patients to obtain regular check-ups, preventative care and the occasional "sick" call. NuPhysicia's configurations of Polycom visual communication systems are the workhorse of these popular services.
The clinic is staffed by a qualified paramedic, with specialized telemedicine expertise, who operates the NuPhysicia/Polycom integrated system linking patient and physician. Additionally, the paramedic provides the physician with real-time patient information using an electronic medical record.
"Offering convenient, on-site services improves access to preventative care that helps ensure good health while also lowering medical costs," said Hammack. "On-site services also keep employees from having to take a half-day or more off of work to visit their doctor, improving our customers' productivity and corporate competitiveness."
Care expanded through special treatment, services
NuPhysicia's systems, which are based on Polycom visual communication, also augment the offerings of traditional medical centers by providing access to medical specialists and mental health professionals. This service expands the treatment capabilities of primary care medical facilities and makes access to needed specialists more convenient for patients. This service is especially valuable in rural or underserved locations where the availability of specialists is limited.
Harsh, remote locations receive gentle care, convenient advice
NuPhysicia's health programs extend medical care services to such remote locations as offshore oil rigs, or construction sites located in harsh environments. These services offer access to physician consultations and advice for issues that are outside of standard primary care. In these types of environments, remote access to physicians can provide an important tool for best managing urgent and emergency situations, as well as providing routine care. The combination of NuPhysicia and Polycom visual communication solutions has performed exceptionally, even in these rugged or hard-to-reach environments.
"A welder was injured on an offshore oil platform by a piece of molten metal lodged in his ear canal," said Hammack. "The on-deck paramedic connected via our specially configured NuPhysicia/Polycom visual communications system, placed an otoscope in the patient's ear, and the doctor was able to see the eardrum. The eardrum was not burned and the doctor was able to recommend appropriate treatment on the spot. The welder was effectively treated and returned home on his regular schedule."
Hammack added, "I truly believe that NuPhysicia and Polycom are radically changing the way healthcare is and will be delivered. These are different times and as such, call for an exceptional approach."
NuPhysicia Video Interview
[ http://media.polycom.com/common/products/video/Polycom%20and%20NuPhysicia%20Telemedicine.wmv ]
About NuPhysicia
NuPhysicia LLC provides physician services to patients and provides telemedicine goods, services and expertise to healthcare organizations. A specialist in the science of providing health care services using telecommunications, visual communication, medical devices, and computing technologies, NuPhysicia operates a proven business method with business models, product designs, operational strategies, implementation processes, management skills and distinct administrative approaches refined for more than ten years within a major academic medical center. Please visit[ www.nuphysicia.com ] for more information.
About Polycom
Polycom, Inc. (
© 2009 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved. POLYCOM®, the Polycom "Triangles" logo and the names and marks associated with Polycom's products are trademarks and/or service marks of Polycom, Inc. and are registered and/or common law marks in the United States and various other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.