Mount Carmel Health System Expands TogetherTeam Virtual Connected Care™

February 18, 2025

Columbus, Ohio – Addressing the nursing workforce crisis remains a critical challenge for health systems, with a predicted shortage of 9 million nurses worldwide by 2030. Mount Carmel Health System and its parent company, Trinity Health, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health systems, rolled out a first-of-its-kind care delivery model in 2023 to address these challenges, improve care delivery, increase job satisfaction and create career pathways for nurses at any stage of their career. On February 17, this care model will expand to additional hospitals and units to further its impact in central Ohio.

TogetherTeam Virtual Connected CareTM is a true team approach to patient-centered care and uses technology to support direct care staff and increase patient interaction. Patients receiving care through this delivery model can expect to be treated by a direct care registered nurse, an on-site nursing assistant or LPN, and a registered nurse who remotes into the patient’s room virtually. The team functions as a cohesive and highly connected unit to deliver comprehensive care. The virtual nurses are located on local campuses as opposed to an off-site call center and have access to complete medical records and even the ability to perform detailed examinations via advanced camera technology. The presence of an experienced virtual nurse provides invaluable mentoring and support to the direct care nurses, especially those who are new graduates.

This care model will be implemented at Mount Carmel East and expanded at Mount Carmel Grove City. With this expansion, TogtherTeam will be serving 309 beds in total across the two hospitals in 14 different units.

“This expansion means even more patients in central Ohio will be treated under our innovative team-based, care model and will support even more nurses in doing what they love most, working at the top of their license to provide excellent professional care to their patients,” said Christina Gevedon, Interim Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Mount Carmel Grove City.

The model serves as a key market differentiator that addresses the nursing workforce crisis head-on. Moreover, it accommodates caregivers at various stages of their careers, providing a stable and predictable working environment, and helping to build a strong pipeline of caregivers to meet future health care needs.

“This care model addresses the urgent challenges we face as healthcare providers with creativity and innovation. It improves care delivery and increases job satisfaction, setting the stage for the future of nursing,” said Abby Nguyen, Chief Nursing Officer, Mount Carmel East. “It’s a groundbreaking strategy with a strong team care model that will help us usher in a new era of nursing excellence.”

ABOUT MOUNT CARMEL HEALTH SYSTEM 
Mount Carmel Health System, a member of Trinity Health, has provided high-quality, comprehensive healthcare services in central Ohio for more than 135 years. Our team of more than 8,200 colleagues, 1,920 physicians and 420 volunteers provide compassionate, people-centered primary and specialty care at its five hospitals — Mount Carmel East, Mount Carmel Grove City, Mount Carmel New Albany, Mount Carmel St. Ann’s and Diley Ridge Medical Center, an affiliation of Mount Carmel and Fairfield Medical Center. The health system is also comprised of the Mount Carmel Health Plan, Mount Carmel College of Nursing, Mount Carmel Medical Group and Mount Carmel Health Partners, along with surgery centers, emergency and ambulatory care centers, and hospice and home care services throughout the region.