How TeleCritical care is making the hospital more comfortable for Veterans

Devon Lehman retired after 20 years in the Army and found a new mission at home as a TeleCritical Care (TCC) nurse educator. In this role, he teaches VA staff and curious Veterans about one of VA's most innovative telehealth programs.

The TCC program uses telehealth technology to provide an extra layer of support for Veterans while they are in the intensive care unit (ICU).

As both a nurse and a patient, Lehman has seen firsthand how the TCC program is making VA hospital stays shorter, safer and more comfortable for Veterans. Through multiple interfaces, the TCC team has access to the same patient information, laboratory studies and vital signs as the bedside providers. This data is updated constantly and analyzed to notify the TCC staff of any abnormalities so that they can take a deeper look and initiate treatments to keep Veterans on the road to recovery and back to their families.

"It's all about making Veterans feel better," said Lehman.

What is TeleCritical Care?

Lehman knows this technology like the back of his hand. He often explains the TCC setup in intensive care rooms to people who are new to the program. Each room has a TV, microphone and camera to connect the Veteran and their bedside care team with remote VA providers at other locations. They are typically nurses and intensivists who specialize in caring for critically ill patients. The TCC team provides proactive and reactive care, stepping in when dangerous symptoms arise. Veterans can also contact them for help 24/7 should they need anything.

TCC providers use the same clinical information (vital signs, laboratory studies, x-ray images) that the bedside team uses. This data is gathered from devices to identify trends in a Veteran's health status and helps the TCC providers build care plans and identify and react to high-risk symptoms.

Across 83 VA ICU facilities, the TCC program is capable of monitoring over 1,200 patients at once.

"By using this technology, we can reach more facilities, decrease length of stays, decrease mortality rates and increase satisfaction," said Lehman. According to an analysis conducted in 2024, TCC decreased length of stays by an entire day, while site surveys suggested that satisfaction increases with the use of TCC technology.

How TeleCritical Care helps

Lehman, who has fostered the program's expansion over the years, also got to experience the TCC program as a patient. After a routine procedure, Lehman recovered in a room equipped with TCC technology.

"TCC gave me the peace of mind that my providers were well informed, prepared and had an extra layer of support," he shared.

Lehman has watched the program grow exponentially since the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to a higher demand for virtual care, TCC equipped VA ICU rooms with a call button on the wall, as well as mobile carts with audio-visual connectivity between the hospital and TCC are available in many VA hospitals.

TCC makes Veterans' hospital visits easier for them and their families because they do not need to assist their loved ones as much.

"There is nothing that patients or family members need to do at all," said Lehman. "TCC is there 24/7."

Learn more

TCC is revolutionizing VA hospital experience. It makes visits to the hospital shorter, safer and more comfortable for Veterans. If you are a Veteran with an upcoming operation, talk with your VA provider to see if TCC is available in your area. For more information about other VA telehealth programs, visit the VA Telehealth Services page.