HeathCareBusiness reports on tech upgrades in hospitals La Crosse and Mankato. Telehealth can be a double edge sword in rural areas, it brings better healthcare to your home but it puts the local hospital in jeopardy. So it’s nice to see how two local non-metro hospitals are finding a middle ground of sorts by providing even better service online with technology…

Mayo Clinic Health System will build a new six-floor, 70-bed hospital in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and expand and modernize the hospital in Mankato, Minnesota, by adding three new floors atop the existing building….

Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse and Mankato will have technology-enabled hospitals that foster a culture of excellence and equip staff with the latest tools to Cure, Connect and Transform community health care. These hospitals will incorporate telehealth, digital health and artificial intelligence technologies, along with design elements and efficiencies to support innovative care models and enhance the patient and staff experience for years to come.

Here are some details on the hospital improvements in Mankato…

The Mankato project features a 121-bed expansion. The project will include a three-floor vertical expansion atop the Emergency Department, Cancer Center and Specialty Clinic foyer.
Hospital floors within the new tower will link to the existing hospital and include:
A new and expanded ICU and Progressive Care Unit
A new Medical-Surgical Unit.
A new Family Birth Center, including Labor and Delivery, Postpartum, Triage, a cesarean surgical suite, and a Level 2 nursery.
The two projects constitute a $353 million investment in the future of Mayo Clinic Health System. Construction is expected to begin this spring at both locations and will be completed in 2024.