Virtual ICU Program between WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute, Potomac Valley Hospital saves Keyser man’s life

It was not until Jan. 3, that his children realized their father’s condition had worsened, and they knew emergency care was warranted. The family opted for the emergency room at WVU Medicine Potomac Valley Hospital in Keyser, knowing if a transfer to a tertiary care facility was necessary, their father could be airlifted to WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.

Upon arrival at the emergency room, it was evident that Staggers was in critical condition.

“Nobody knew how sick he was,” Lindsey Staggers-Gardner, his daughter, said. “We were really concerned that he wasn't going to make it.”

The Staggerses learned a transfer to Morgantown was not possible with the intensive care unit full due to the pandemic. That is when physicians took charge and explained that in 2018, Potomac Valley Hospital became the pilot site for a telemedicine Intensive Care Unit Program called the Virtual Intensive Care Unit.

The program, spearheaded by Alison Wilson, M.D., executive director of the WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute, allows physicians and local team the opportunity to work with board-certified intensivists from J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, allowing collaboration to facilitate the delivery of critical care while staying in their “home” hospital.

Utilizing video technology, Dr. Wilson and her team of intensivists conduct “virtual rounds” with ICU patients and are available on-call 24 hours a day to help support local physicians with emergent concerns.

“We meet with the local team, review the patient and the clinical issues, and develop a plan for each patient. Care is coordinated in partnership with the local hospital staff to ensure continuity as the local team remains in charge and understands the specific needs of each patient,” Dr. Wilson said.

“This partnership builds trust and relationships with the providers and ensures more effective patient care management. It has been a pleasure to work with Potomac Valley Hospital to start this innovative team approach to help support the care being delivered to acutely ill patients.”

The partnership proved to be a lifesaving one for Staggers, as the medical team at Potomac Valley Hospital swiftly intervened, uncovering a blockage in his ureter due to a kidney stone, causing septicemia and endangering his life. Staggers-Gardner recounts the pivotal moment when decisions hung in the balance.

“The chance of death was incredibly high without surgery. With the surgery, however, the chance of death was also high,” she said. “But we knew that dad would rather have something done than nothing.”

The following morning, the surgical team successfully placed a urethral stent. Despite complications, including atrial fibrillation, Staggers’ health gradually improved, thanks to the dedicated care provided by both hospitals’ medical staff.

“I think anywhere else, he would have died. It was just phenomenal care,” Staggers-Gardner said. “We cannot say enough. They saved his life, and he tells everybody constantly that they saved his life.”

Despite the odds stacked against him, Staggers’ resilience and physical fitness played a pivotal role in his survival. When he began occupational and physical therapy, he said he had to laugh because “I told them, ‘I do not think there’s anything you can show me that I don’t know how to do. I probably trained you.’ Many of the physical therapists that came in I had taught as students.”

His youngest son, Jake Staggers, acknowledged the unique blend of expertise and community support at Potomac Valley Hospital. “It’s almost like big city care, but like small town community connections within the Hospital itself,” he said.

The Staggerses say their father’s journey to recovery was improved by WVU Medicine’s transparent communication and advanced technology. The integration of the VICU and the MyWVUChart system facilitated seamless coordination and communication between Staggers' medical team and his family, ensuring timely updates and informed decision-making.

“Within minutes of test results being uploaded to MyWVUChart, we could log on, and Lindsey, being a nurse practitioner, could start telling the family exactly what the results meant,” Jake Staggers said. “This information kept our family in-the-know and reassured us about dad’s health status.”

Reflecting on his remarkable recovery, Michael Staggers expressed gratitude for the exceptional care he received.

“WVU Medicine saved my life,” he said, “and I am forever grateful for their dedication and expertise.”

For more information on the WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute, visit WVUMedicine.org/CriticalCare. For more information on WVU Medicine Potomac Valley Hospital, visit WVUMedicine.org/Potomac-Valley-Hospital.