Tommy Henderson was born with Pierre Robin syndrome; a sequence of developmental malformations that include a cleft palate, as well as abnormal placement of the jaw and tongue. These conditions made it hard for Tommy to breathe, and many infants with this syndrome have problems hearing, feeding, and eventually learning how to speak.

After weeks in the NICU, and many follow up visits both at Primary Children’s and in St. George when the craniofacial team was able to travel there, Tommy and his family are now able to  consult with a panel of doctors all at once using TeleHealth. The team of surgeons, ear-nose-throat specialists and audiologists, dentists, and other care providers at Primary Children’s Hospital uses high-definition cameras, audio equipment, and televisions in private conference or examination rooms, to connect with Tommy and his family, and other patients like him in St. George – and Tommy’s mom says the experience is better, in many ways, than the in-person care they were accustomed to.

TeleHealth uses modern technology to connect providers and patients at different locations, keeping everyone closer to home and enhancing teamwork between providers, who work together to ensure patients like Tommy receive the best possible care. Primary Children’s will soon use TeleHealth to extend the reach of other pediatrics services like prenatal education, ultrasound mentoring, trauma, nutrition, and more.

For more information about TeleHealth, please click here.