When an accident or serious illness occurs at sea, expert medical help may be thousands of miles away. Satellite and mobile links to our emergency medicine physicians ensure high-quality, continuous care no matter where you are in the world.
How our service works
Help could be hours, days, or weeks away. The Maritime Medical Access team is here 24/7/365, and our help is only minutes away.
- Call, email, or video. A WECC operator collects the basics, then connects you to a board-certified emergency physician.
- A plan built for your resources. Training, equipment on hand, and transit time all vary, so the physician builds a plan around what you actually have.
- Specialist backup. Cases that need specialty input can bring in physicians from over 50 medical specialties.
- Diversion, evacuation, or repatriation. We direct you to a port with appropriate care, or arrange a medically chaperoned repatriation. Learn more →
- Ongoing case management. Complex cases stay on our daily case-management list for reassessment and updated recommendations.
Built for the maritime industry specifically
- Experience. Every case is managed by board-certified emergency medicine physicians with a specific interest in maritime, aviation, or remote medicine.
- Access. Physicians are available 24/7/365, one phone call, email, or video conference away.
- Personal interaction. On video-equipped vessels, the patient and physician can see each other face to face from anywhere in the world.
- Specialty network. Clients have access to a broad network of specialist physicians across dozens of medical specialties.
- Technology agnostic. We work with the technology you already have in place. If new equipment is needed, we can point you to cost-effective, long-term solutions.
- Continuous improvement. Our clinical team regularly reviews cases to improve care in remote locations: better stocked, better trained, better prepared before an emergency arises.
A team built for remote medicine
Board-certified emergency physicians with a specific interest in maritime, aviation, and remote medicine, backed by a network of over 50 specialties when a case calls for it.
The physicians behind Maritime Medical Access
Neal Sikka, MD
Francis O'Connell, MD
Keith Boniface, MD
John Lafleur, MD, PhD
Rita Manfredi, MD
Tenagne Haile-Mariam, MD
Adam Rutenberg, DO
Colton Hood, MD
Cody Johnson, MD
Ted Fagrelius, MD
Leah Steckler, MD
Encrypted, low-bandwidth video care
We partner with DigiGone for encrypted, HIPAA-compliant video conferencing through the WECC, supporting video, audio, text, and file transfer, including patient vitals and EKG, anywhere an internet connection can be established, while keeping air-time costs low.
Have a crew member who needs care?
Call the WECC to speak with a physician, or request more information about setting up Maritime Medical Access for your vessel or fleet.
Or call (202) 794-9919.