With roots in both scientific research and critical care nursing, Shelley Meyer, MBA, RN, CCRN, exemplifies the kind of deep, multidisciplinary expertise that sets Caregility’s clinical team apart. Her career journey spanning ICU floors, Tele-ICU leadership, and digital health program management gives her a rare ability to bridge bedside realities with scalable virtual care innovation.
What drew you to nursing?
MBA, RN, CCRN
Clinical Program Manager, Caregility
Shelley: I came to nursing later in life. I was originally a research scientist, working in labs at biotech and startup companies. I worked at Washington University for a while, where I contributed to medical and pharmaceutical research. When I became pregnant, I decided to stay home with my kids for a while, but I knew I wanted to give back in some way—something with more people engagement and more flexibility as a new mom.
That led me to an accelerated one-year nursing program. I went straight into surgical ICU work and spent several years working in ICUs. Then I sustained an injury that took me away from the bedside. That’s when I heard about Tele-ICU and found a program in St. Louis where I worked as a station nurse for a virtual clinical services company.
From there, I moved into nursing leadership and became an account manager, working on customer implementations and training programs. I did that for many years, all while keeping up my critical care nursing skills.
Next, I joined Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where I helped launch a TeleICU program from the ground up. Over the five years I was there, we grew TeleICU into a system-wide initiative. I continued working as a tele-critical care nurse the entire time, while also helping manage and expand the program.
Later, I went to the VA in St. Louis to serve as a program manager overseeing telehealth initiatives across the system. After that, I joined Philips, supporting their eCareManager (ECM) software, virtual care programs, and customer relationships.
What are you most passionate about helping healthcare providers achieve?
I’ve always been excited about technology and the future of medicine, especially the potential of digital tools to relieve bedside burden and enhance care. I’ve seen firsthand the frustration at the bedside. So many routine tasks could be taken over by AI or automated systems that integrate directly into the EHR.
I hope we’ll see that transformation in the next few years. I want clinicians to have the time and mental space to deliver personal, compassionate, and excellent care. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible right now.
During COVID, we saw an acceleration of this change. Bedside teams had to get creative, using carts and tablets to stay connected. That sparked broader acceptance of telehealth and demonstrated how it can reduce burnout and improve provider satisfaction. And when provider satisfaction goes up, patient satisfaction follows.
I believe telemedicine will become the standard of care, so fully integrated that we’ll stop calling it “telehealth.” It’ll just be how care is delivered. Hospital-at-home models, wearables, and remote monitoring devices that send data directly to the EMR are on the horizon.
All of it ties back to people. It’s not about replacing bedside staff; it’s about enhancing their experience. That, in turn, improves ROI by reducing friction and complications in the daily workflow. It’s better for providers, better for patients, and helps make care accessible.
Eventually, I believe cameras will be standard in every hospital room. Having worked on a med-surg floor myself, I can’t imagine managing that workload today without virtual support.
What does healthcare look like five years from now?
Five years from now, healthcare will be truly patient-centric. Systems will be integrated, and patient information will flow seamlessly across providers and care settings. Technology will run quietly in the background – user-friendly, requiring minimal training, and enhancing (not complicating) the clinician’s day.
Telemedicine will be universally adopted as the standard of care. Hospital-at-home programs, wearables, and remote devices will send data directly to the EMR without friction. AI and automation will handle routine tasks, streamlining clinical workflows. Documentation will happen through voice recognition or direct integration with medical devices.
As a result, clinicians will spend more time at the bedside (physically or virtually), delivering the kind of personal, compassionate, excellent care they trained for.
We’ll also see growth in personalized medicine and preventive care, driven by predictive analytics that can identify health risks earlier. Population health strategies will address community-specific challenges, and care will become more equitable and accessible for all.
Interested in connecting with a Caregility Clinical Program Manager to discuss your virtual care strategy? Contact us today!
