Veterans Affairs unveils tele-intensive care unit in St. Paul

(Photo courtesy of The Office of Sen. Pat Toomey)

A new tele-intensive care unit center was unveiled in St. Paul Thursday.

The technology will allow veterans’ bedside clinical staff to work with tele-intensive care unit clinicians to provide critical care, research and education, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The technology is housed in a historical building in St. Paul. Veterans Affairs says the building has a long history of military use.

In order to make the tele-intensive care unit center work, Veterans Affairs invested $10 million in the historic restoration of the facility. The project was recognized as a “Top Project of 2017” by Minnesota Finance and Commerce.

Building 222, as it's called, is a National Historic Building that has been in the hands of the military and the VA since before 1900, according to the department.

The exterior has remained the same for more than 65 years, but the interior has been completely re-built while sill “capturing the over 120-year history of this building’s service to our country,” according to a release from Veterans Affairs.