Sugar Land - Missouri City Edition | December 2025

Health care

BY TOMER RONEN

St. Luke’s Health-Sugar Land Hospital launches Virtually Integrated Care

“VIC is more than technology—it’s a new way to deliver compassionate,

coordinated care. The VIC nurses are unburdening our sta so the bedside care team can spend their time where it matters most.” LYZANNE MASON, NURSING MANAGER

St. Luke’s Health-Sugar Land Hospital has integrated a new virtual nursing program to help streamline and elevate patient care. About the project The Virtually Integrated Care model pairs experienced virtual registered nurses with bedside nurses and patient care assistants through online platforms to improve patient monitoring, stream- line workows and enhance family communica- tion, ocials announced in a Nov. 4 news release. The program, which was launched Oct. 13, was introduced to the hospital’s medical-surgical unit. The details The touchscreen Virtual Care Delivery Platform is installed in patient rooms and unit areas, allowing connection between sta, patients and

family members, hospital ocials said in an email. Virtual nurses help with administrative tasks that can take over an hour of a bedside nurse’s time— allowing in-person nurses to focus on clinical care. Why it matters Over 900,000 nurses will leave the nursing eld by 2027, with over 60% frustrated with their work- loads, making change necessary now, Julie Tuel, CommonSpirit Health System’s vice president, said in an email. VIC assists in unburdening the bedside care team by helping meet key patient care needs. What’s next Although the program initially began on the hospital’s fth oor, the model is actively expand- ing to the fourth oor and other Texas locations.

Virtually Integrated Care program goals

Optimizing nursing workows

Enhancing safety and patient- centered care

Improving equity and communication

Supporting retention and resilience

SOURCE: ST. LUKE’S HEALTHSUGAR LANDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

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