Geisinger Moves Towards Virtual Nursing in Post-Acute Care

This health system's virtual nursing program has matured into a scalable and sustainable care model since last year.

Virtual nursing is quickly becoming a staple of care delivery in nursing workflows. Creative program expansion is what will keep the ball rolling for health systems who want to continue exploring the technology's potential.

Derek Godino, senior director of nursing at Geisinger, recently gave HealthLeaders an update on the health system's virtual nursing progress over the past year.

Godino is part of the HealthLeaders Virtual Nursing Mastermind program, which brings together several health systems to discuss the ins and outs of their virtual nursing programs and what their goals are for now and the future.

New year, new goals

In 2024, Geisinger had several goals for virtual nursing: to open up the workforce by creating a new role to consider, to improve care quality, and to boost nurse and patient engagement and experience. According to Godino, the program has matured into a scalable and sustainable care model.

"We've optimized workflows and refined our onboarding and training protocols," Godino said.

Additionally, Geisinger has put emphasis on integrating virtual nursing into many different aspects of nursing workflows.

"We've also strengthened our interdisciplinary partnerships and improved the integration of virtual nurses into daily clinical routines," Godino said, "enhancing team cohesion and patient experience."

Going forward, the health system plans to expand virtual nursing services into transitional care and chronic disease management in the post-acute and ambulatory spaces, Godino explained. New technologies are also on the horizon for the program.

"From a technology perspective, we are exploring AI-powered decision support tools, biometric monitoring integration, and more advanced virtual rounding capabilities to improve efficiency and patient engagement," Godino said.

The current strategy

Godino explained that the biggest challenge so far has been ensuring consistent technology infrastructure across sites due to infrastructure requirements and limitations. As of right now, Geisinger is working with two to three primary vendors for technology platforms, hardware, and support services.

"This number has slightly decreased as we've consolidated, to streamline integration and support," Godino said. "We anticipate this may change as we evaluate new partnerships for expansion into outpatient settings or adopt more sophisticated analytics and AI tools."

The health system's staffing strategy has moved towards blending experienced nurses who want flexible or alternative roles with nurses who have specialized skillsets that are ideal for remote care, Godino explained.

"We've aligned our recruitment and retention strategies with these profiles and have invested in remote work support and engagement programs to maintain a strong sense of team identity," Godino said.

To measure the program's results, Geisinger is looking at clinical outcomes, such as falls, readmissions, and escalation events, and operational outcomes, such as staff satisfaction and time savings. Godino said they are also looking at financial metrics, like cost avoidance and length of stay.

"Early data has shown positive trends, particularly in nurse workload reduction and improved patient communication, with ongoing efforts to quantify broader ROI," Godino said.

Onward and upward

Moving forward, Geisinger is looking beyond just virtual nursing. According to Godino, the program will serve as a critical connector between inpatient discharge and outpatient follow-up, specifically for care coordination, chronic condition management, and the Geisinger at Home program.

"By embedding virtual nurses into these models, we can provide continuous, proactive support and reinforce care plan adherence, reducing unnecessary readmissions and improving patient satisfaction," Godino said.

The biggest surprise so far, for Godino, has been how quickly both nurses and patients have adapted to the virtual nursing program.

"The acceptance and appreciation from patients, especially around responsiveness and continuity of care, have exceeded expectations," Godino said.

The HealthLeaders Mastermind series is an exclusive series of calls and events with healthcare executives. This Virtual Nursing Mastermind series features ideas, solutions, and insights into excelling your virtual nursing program. Please join the community at our LinkedIn page.

To inquire about participating in an upcoming Mastermind series or attending a HealthLeaders Exchange event, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.