U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs selects Philips to create world’s largest tele-critical care system, further integrating tele-health and delivering quality care for veterans

July 8, 2020

Building on history of collaboration & innovation, Philips helps the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) increase Veterans’ access to enhanced critical care

Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Cambridge, MA, U.S. – (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded a contract to Philips to expand VA’s tele-critical care program, creating the world’s largest system to provide veterans remote access to intensive care expertise, regardless of their location. The ten-year contract, which enables VA to invest up to $100 million with Philips for tele-critical care technology and services, leverages Philips history of innovation, including research into technologies that can better support veterans, telehealth, tele-critical care (eICU), diagnostic imaging, sleep solutions and patient monitoring.

VA is the largest integrated healthcare system in the U.S., consisting of more than 1,700 sites and serving nearly nine million veterans each year. It has become a leader in developing telehealth services in order to improve access to care and federate care delivery. In fiscal year 2019 alone, VA delivered more than 2.5 million telehealth episodes. Additionally, VA was able to expand video to home appointments from approximately 10,000 to 120,000 per week between February and May of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the pandemic has increased the share of Americans participating in telehealth from 11% in 2019 to 46% today, with healthcare systems reporting a 50 to 175-fold increase in telehealth volume compared to pre-pandemic levels [1, 2].

As part of an overall , eICU enables a co-located team of specially trained critical care physicians and nurses to remotely monitor patients in the ICU regardless of patient location. With VA managing 1,800 ICU beds nationwide, eICU not only gives patients access to specialists, but also helps them deliver on the Quadruple Aim: optimizing care costs, enhancing clinician and patient satisfaction and improving outcomes. Research has shown that patients in eICU settings Moreover, family members can talk to clinicians via integrated audio and video technology to support decision making.

“VA’s relationship with Philips will help to expand and improve our tele-critical care program,” said Robert Wilkie, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “This is particularly critical to provide Veterans access to quality health care when and where they need it and for improving their health outcomes.”

Philips is the global leader in centralized eICU. More than 20% of U.S. adult ICU beds and 1 in 8 adult ICU patients are monitored by a 24/7 continuous demand model powered by the eICU Program, which combines A/V technology, predictive analytics, data visualization and advanced reporting capabilities [3, 4]. The core of these proven solutions is Philips eCareManager software, which uses advanced analytics and AI to synthesize patient data and deliver actionable insights to support proactive care in coordination with onsite staff.

“Philips is committed to improving the lives of 3 billion people a year by 2030 and is working closely with VA to support one of our most important initiatives: improving the health of our service men and women,” said Vitor Rocha, Chief Market Leader for Philips North America. “By connecting advanced telehealth technologies, clinical data, as well as clinicians, patients and their families, Philips can help VA make virtual care a reality and deliver quality health care for one of our most deserving communities: our nation’s veterans.”

For over 45 years, Philips has worked closely with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs, with over 50% of all VA Hospitals or VISNs using Philips imaging solutions and over 35% using Philips critical care systems. Philips CPAP machines are also used by over 50,000 Veterans suffering from sleep apnea. Today, Philips continues to work closely with the DoD, VA and academic partners to drive , as well as that can bring care closer to home for our nation’s veterans.

[1] VA



[2] McKinsey



[3] Representative of the total Philips eICU licensed beds as a percentage coverage relative to total US adult ICU beds

[4] Derived from SCCM Adult ICU admission statistic and compared to eCareManager eRI annual monitored patients

For further information, please contact:

Joost Maltha

Philips Global Press Office

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Silvie Casanova

Philips North America

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About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2019 sales of EUR 19.5 billion and employs approximately 81,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at .

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