The two newest telemedicine facilities are pilot projects to be activated this year between The Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu and Big Island hospitals.

One focuses on neurological injuries such as strokes and brain damage from trauma and is being funded under a $727,000 grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. It will link the Queen's Neuroscience Institute with the Hilo Medical Center and Kona Community Hospital on the Big Island.

This system will use an Internet link with a wireless camera at each Big Island hospital. It will let Honolulu neurologists see patients, talk to Big Island doctors and determine whether patients need to be taken to Queen's, and if so, whether they need any specialized procedures before they go.

The system, which should be operational in March, is designed to test the effectiveness of what seems to be a very simple system, said Karen Seth, manager of the Neuroscience Institute.

"We're trying to evaluate a simple wireless camera with one-touch activation that's connected to the Internet," Seth said. "It's a pilot program to see if it works."

The other telemedicine system, under a $481,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, will allow Honolulu trauma surgeons to check the condition of the victims of major injuries before they are flown from the Big Island's North Hawai'i Hospital to O'ahu.

"Our trauma surgeons will be able to see the patients before transport and see what we can do before shipping them," said Queen's director for emergency and trauma services Marsha Durbin. The system will allow Honolulu physicians to view X-rays and CT scans as well, and will be available as a teaching tool at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawai'i.

"This telemedicine project will enable the Queen's trauma team to immediately assess patients brought to North Hawai'i Community Hospital in that first 'golden hour' of care. We are thrilled with the potential of this project to help Neighbor Island physicians provide state-of-the-art trauma care to all Hawai'i residents," said Queen's trauma medical director Dr. Hao Chih Ho, in a prepared statement.

This system is to be operational late this year.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.