Special iPads inside ICU ambulances saving lives in Westchester County

VALHALLA, New York (WABC) -- Doctors in Westchester County are getting access to their patients faster than ever.

Thanks to new technology, the diagnosis can begin as early as the ambulance ride.

Inside a mobile ICU ambulance, they not only have the traditional lifesaving equipment, but also some new modern technology: a special iPad that allows paramedics to consult with doctors in real time.

Westchester Medical Center has equipped two ambulances with tablets loaded with special software.

The device can be moved to show doctors injures or to monitor readings.

The teleconference not only helps in the treatment of patients on their way to the hospital, it allows emergency room personnel to better prepare.

Ambulance teleconferencing is being used in four areas: trauma, burns, pediatrics and neonatal ICU.

Ambulance teleconferencing began in December. It's an extension of Westchester Medical Center's e-Health program, which lets staff remotely monitor the adult intensive care unit not only in Valhalla, but also at a partner hospital in Poughkeepsie.