Morningside to showcase new telemedicine clinic

United Methodist-related Morning-side Ministries in San Antonio is showing off its new telemedicine clinic at a 10 a.m. to noon open house today.
The two-way audioviusal clinic allows retirement community residents, accompanied by a staff nurse, to interact with physicians at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in real time without leaving San Antonio.
With instruments in the telemedi-cine station, a physician can examine the patient, provide a diagnosis, make referrals to specialists and prescribe medication.
During the system’s first two weeks of operation, the telemedicine clinic handled 45 patients and discovered two serious health problems.
A $150,000 grant from SBC Foundation paid for the technology. Morning-side is the only retirement community in South Texas using telemedicine.
“This technology has the potential to benefit many, many older Americans,” said the Rev. Alvin Lowenberg, president.
Founded in 1961, Morningside serves 700 residents on three campuses—two in San Antonio and one in Boerne. Morningside is related to the Southwest Texas Conference, the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas and First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio.