The Aida Porras Story
The first telemedicine consult conducted by Texas Tech, well over a decade ago,
proved that telemedicine is a legitimate tool in medicine. Texas Tech physicians believed that patients and doctors, who are miles apart, could be linked with a video conferencing system. As part of a telemedicine research project, the first test consult was conducted in June 29, 1990 between Texas Tech in Lubbock and the hospital in Alpine 300 miles away in the remote Big Bend region. A routine surgical follow-up was selected for the first consult. During the initial long distance examination, the Alpine physician was informed that a newborn had gone into respiratory distress. With specialists from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center on the other end of the telemedicine video link, the physician requested an emergency consult with a neonatologist.
A Texas Tech physician guided the local doctor in Alpine and the infant responded. Everyone agrees that without the telemedicine consult, the newborn might not have lived long enough to be transported to the nearest major medical center 140 miles away.
Aida Porras instantly became the poster child for telemedicine.
Today, Aida lives an active and healthy life in Presidio, Texas. Her parents and the physician credit telemedicine as the tool that helped her survive.
Texas Tech physicians immediately pronounced the telemedicine project a success. To Aida, telemedicine was a lifesaver.