Facing down the Blizzard of 2015, Rhode Island provider Absolute Respiratory Care leveraged technology to assist patients that were threatened by the storm forecasted in their area.

The January 2015 nor’easter, also known as the, disrupted transportation with snow emergencies declared in six states, and travel bans in many states, as well. For patients needing oxygen services, such a scenario could quickly turn life threatening.

So, during the weekend prior to the forecasted storm, Absolute Respiratory Care used CareTouch’s contact services to initiate emergency outreach efforts to patients who might need oxygen and wouldn’t be able to travel. CareTouch quickly put a call program together and reached out to about 800 people to identify their need for oxygen. The call campaign also included suggestions for best practices , such as information on which tanks to use first in the event of a power outage.

“Utilizing CareTouch’s call service was the only way we could reach our patients fast and efficiently,” said Jayne Matoian, owner of Absolute Respiratory Care. “When patients are stuck in their homes without power, they need to know which oxygen tanks to use first.

“Some of our customers didn’t even know the storm was coming,” she continued. “With CareTouch’s help we were able to inform them, and make sure their portable tanks were filled ahead of time. Without oxygen, their health could have been negatively affected. We were able to take action before the storm hit to ensure that everyone was prepared.”

“Responding to patient needs is one thing, but anticipating their needs puts Absolute Respiratory Care on a completely different level,” added Matthew Dolph, CEO of CareTouch. “We were happy to get the call over the weekend and help execute the program quickly on their behalf.”