Alabama Case Study

Alabama’s Rural Healthcare Providers Put VitalEngine to the Test.

The State Ranks 9th In The Country For Rural Residents, With 41% Of Its Population.

During the 2020 Covid crisis, VitalEngine was awarded a grant from Alabama Governor Kay Ivey to help overwhelmed rural healthcare providers. With funds from the CARES Act, all rural facilities could access our most feature-rich platform at no cost.

The program was well-received, enrolling 53 rural hospitals, 117 rural health clinics, 231 nursing homes, and all four of the state’s Veterans Affairs hospitals.

VitalEngine enabled city and county healthcare providers to collaborate as never before. Rural hospitals could confer with specialists to identify Covid patients for transfer to a larger facility. Clinics were able to address their backlog of referrals. And telemedicine visits offered the safest method for physicians and patients to connect.

The feedback demonstrated how capably the platform could accelerate patient care, profoundly improving an unprecedented situation.

The installation of the VitalEngine platform throughout Alabama by way of Governor Ivy’s Rural Health Initiative will certainly bolster the quality of care patients receive in the state of Alabama.

The VitalEngine platform fills the gaps and smoothes the bumps in exchanging information between referring physicians and tertiary care providers. When information exchange is more accurate and efficient, the quality and timeliness of patient care increase.
- Dr. John Hunter, Colorectal Surgeon at USA Health
VitalEngine has been a game-changer for enabling the very best in patient care in rural communities. The ability to send information immediately allows for real-time decisions and appropriate utilization of resources. Ultimately, for all specialists serving rural areas, this matches to serve the communities the very best we can.
- Greg Price, Cardiologist, Andalusia Health
VitalEngine makes it easier to transfer patient information, not just the medical records but images as well. We’ve had to wait more than a month for C.D.s to arrive in the mail. Not all hospital systems “talk” to each other, but VitalEngine makes setting up referrals flawless.
- Carolyn Chaffin, RN at Jackson Hospital Montgomery
Vital Engine is a remarkable technology that allows the very best care for our patients. The ability to exchange information and receive expert opinions in real-time has removed many of the roadblocks in getting the higher levels of care or opinions often needed in critical situations.
- Dr. Raymond Fernandez, Cardiologist, Marshall Medical Center
Percentage of Rural Residents By State From 2010 Census:
  • Maine–61%
  • Vermont–61%
  • West Virginia–51%
  • Mississippi–51%
  • Montana–44%
  • Arkansas–44%
  • South Dakota–43%
  • Kentucky–42%
  • Alabama–41%
  • North Dakota–40%
  • New Hampshire-40%
  • Iowa-36%
  • Wyoming-35%
  • Alaska-34%
  • North Carolina-34%
  • Oklahoma-34%
  • South Carolina-34%
  • Tennessee-34%
  • Wisconsin-30%
  • Missouri-30%
  • Idaho-29%
  • Indiana-28%
  • Nebraska-27%
  • Louisiana-27%
  • Minnesota-27%
  • Kansas-26%
  • Michigan-25%
  • Georgia-25%
  • Virginia-25%
  • New Mexico-23%
  • Ohio-22%
  • Pennsylvania-21%
  • Oregon-19%
  • Delaware-17%
  • Washington-16%
  • Texas-15%
  • Colorado-14%
  • Maryland-13%
  • New York-12%
  • Connecticut-12%
  • Illinois-12%
  • Arizona-10%
  • Utah-9%
  • Rhode Island-9%
  • Florida-8%
  • Hawaii-8%
  • Massachusetts-8%
  • Nevada-6%
  • New Jersey-5%
  • California-5%