Medical Services expands their reach

Employees use iPads to communicate with medical director during confidential consultations.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative - October 21, 2011

Dr. Thomas Kaspari

Technology has lent a helping hand to Dakota Gasification Company’s medical services department with the help of iPads.

iPads were purchased for all Basin Electric sites and are being used by employees to communicate with Dr. Thomas Kaspari, medical director, during confidential consultations.

“The iPads can be used as face-to-face consultation using an application called FaceTime,” Kaspari said. “Using this program allows me to see the employee, and the employee to see me during the consultation.”

The consultations will be fit in between Kaspari’s scheduled visits at each site and can be used for various reasons including medication refills, illnesses and minor injuries.

FaceTime training was given to the facility contacts listed below. Employees who

	Patient consultation via iPad.

would like to set up a video conference with Kaspari should call DGC Medical Services at (701) 873-6792 or contact the facility representative. The facility contact person will arrange a meeting and once a connection is made, they will leave the room so the employee will have a confidential consultation. During the consultation, the iPad does not record video.

“We have already used FaceTime many times,” Kaspari said. “The employees who have used the system have told us it worked very well and saved them the cost of an office visit.”

Questions? Call medical services at ext. 6789.

Facility contacts: AVS – Effie Carr and Joyce Edwards; DFS – Kathy Yorek and Darcy Oniandia; DGC – Protection Services (after hours); HDQ – Vickie Volk and Sharon Ficek; LOS – Nancy Gilbertson, Shirley Tavis and Mary Robson; and LRS – Pat Jefferies, Haley Becker and Billie Deschene.