Have you ever been in downtown Las Cruces, noticed the sign atop the city’s tallest building, and wondered, “What exactly is Electronic Caregiver?” First and foremost, Electronic Caregiver (ECG) is a locally owned and operated business, but it is also a health technology company offering cutting-edge services for seniors, the chronically ill, and those seeking an added sense of protection.
About Electronic Caregiver
Electronic Caregiver was founded by CEO Anthony Dohrmann in 2009 and is quickly becoming a world leader in the evolution of healthcare by empowering patients and medical professionals with the use of technology and information that creates a more efficient and effective model for all.
Anthony chose to start ECG in Las Cruces for many reasons, but specifically because of New Mexico State University’s reputable engineering program and talented pool of potential employees. While Anthony has great plans for the future of ECG, maintaining a close connection with the Las Cruces community is one of his top priorities. Anthony has invested in the NMSU campus and has worked closely with the university to research and develop many of the systems that are used at ECG.
“We want to be the first Fortune 500 company from Las Cruces,” Anthony said. “The number of employees at ECG has doubled in a year, and we look to bring thousands of jobs to the state of New Mexico in our future.”
While ECG is making waves locally, its technology is also getting noticed by organizations and health officials throughout the world. The company’s products range from personal emergency response systems to COVID-19 solutions. ECG’s technology is geared toward improving the connection between the patient, doctor, and support team. Its products and services are affordable for most clients, with Medicare/Medicaid covering the cost for qualifying patients.
What They Do
The company’s main products include the Premier and the Pro Health. The Premier is a mobile, pocket-sized smart health device and wearable emergency wrist pendant that provides 24/7 emergency response, care plan reminders, activity monitoring, GPS location, and a telemedicine feature called pocketMD. The Pro Health is a Precision Remote Patient Monitoring system that provides 24/7 emergency response, care plan reminders, pocketMD telemedicine, and vitals monitoring. The system can be paired with six Bluetooth devices, including a glucometer, blood pressure cuff, non-contact thermometer, weight scale, pulse oximeter, and spirometer. The Pro Health can send vitals data and notifications to connected health providers, designated family members, and caregivers.
Health data sent to medical professionals via the Pro Health helps providers develop a clear picture of an individual’s overall health both now and into the future.
“Giving medical professionals accurate and actionable data gets patients better diagnosis and treatment plans and makes doctor or hospital visits much more efficient and effective,” said ECG Chief Clinical Officer Tim Washburn.
Mission of their Technology
ECG’s technology is aimed at giving peace of mind to the thousands of caregivers taking care of family members and loved ones. It also provides supplemental medical services for those living in assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
ECG’s technology also gives clients a better quality of life with more independence and freedom.
Sasha O’Neal, Anthony’s mother and an ECG client, has experienced first-hand the benefits of having an ECG device. She owns the Premier, which she said has saved her life on more than one occasion.
In one recent experience, Sasha said she was walking on a familiar trail when she fell and broke her shoulder.
“I was able to push a button [on my Premier], and the support team stayed on the phone with me until help got there,” she said.
The ease of the technology certainly was impressive, according to Sasha, but it was the support team that really comforted her and made her feel like someone was there for her during the whole process.
Most of us have seen the commercials showing an elderly person who has fallen and is in need of assistance. But what is not often seen are all the people affected by that fall, or why getting help immediately is so important.
When someone falls, they could be left helpless for hours, or even days, without their family or medical professionals knowing. ECG’s products and services can determine if someone has taken a fall and notify emergency services and that person’s care support team in a matter of minutes. The client’s support team can include doctors, nurses, family members, and friends who are concerned for that person’s health and well-being.
ECG staff is also kept in the loop and available to clients 24 hours a day. ECG creates a network of care around their clients, letting them know that they are not alone and can get help at the touch of a button.
ECG’s technology is especially important as the senior population is expected to grow significantly in the years to come.
Their Newest Product
There are currently 48 million people in the U.S. over the age of 65 and that number will double by the year 2050, putting great stress on the medical field and communities that provide for the aging population.
With the growing aging population and chronically ill in mind, ECG is also working on a groundbreaking innovation that will change the face of healthcare and is anticipated to be released in 2021.
Addison, the Virtual Caregiver, is a state-of-the-art, 3D-animated, connected caregiver designed to transform a residence into a digital Smart Health Home. She will provide chronic care management, rehabilitation, behavioral health, and care coordination for patients of all ages, while allowing for more aging in place.
Addison appears on touch screens placed throughout a home. She can monitor an individual’s activity, remind them to take medications, verify adherence, and provide real-time assessments if a client develops evidence of increased risk of falling or health decline. She measures health performance, rewards her users for making progress, collects vitals, and conducts in-home examinations. She will even be able to address clients by name to ensure they take their medication on time or walk them through performing a specific exercise correctly.
The Technology Continues
But ECG isn’t stopping there. The company has also taken the initiative to develop several solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of ECG’s COVID-19 innovations is currently being used by professional sports teams in Europe and is designed to monitor and maintain a safe environment for the athletes, coaches, and staff. ECG’s fight against infectious diseases will continue, as the company is committed to getting America back to working, learning, and living.
With everything ECG has accomplished so far, it’s clear that great things lie ahead for this company. And its mission to revolutionize the way patients interact with medical professionals is something Las Cruces can be proud to be a part of.
Written by Daniel Gonzales • Photos courtesy
Originally published in Neighbors magazine | 2021
Posted by LasCruces.com
