History
TeleHealth Services is a division of Telerent Leasing Corporation (TLC), which was founded in 1957 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In the 1960s, TLC began installing and financing hotel and hospital television systems throughout the U.S. and by the late 1970s had emerged as one of the leading companies serving the hospitality and healthcare industries.
In 1984, TLC created the TeleHealth Services division to focus exclusively on healthcare television systems. The newly-named TeleHealth Services product line included one of the first computer-based interactive healthcare television systems, the TeleComputer. Developed by engineers working for TeleHealth Services, the TeleComputer allowed patients to activate services and complete surveys by simply using the patient pillow speaker.
TLC was acquired by ITOCHU International, Inc., in 1989, and has been an important part of ITOCHU’s worldwide operations for 20 years. ITOCHU is a Fortune Global 500 corporation with U.S. headquarters at 335 Madison Avenue, New York, New York. (link to III here) ITOCHU awarded TLC one of four worldwide Management Awards in 1993, and named TLC as the 1997 recipient of the prestigious Management of the Year Award.
TeleHealth Services acquired the U.S. and Canadian healthcare television business of Granada North America in 1996. The merger of TeleHealth’s and Granada’s customer base made TeleHealth the largest provider of hospital television systems in North America.
Since its inception, TeleHealth has been an innovator in matching television technologies to the ever-changing needs of hospitals. When digital satellite television became commercially-available in 1997, TeleHealth partnered with DIRECTV to expand hospital channel line-ups and reduce costs. Also in 1997, TeleHealth became the exclusive U.S. distributor of the Philips healthcare televisions and has worked closely with Philips to bring the latest innovations to hospitals while maintaining a high service reputation. In 1998, TeleHealth created the TIGR system, tapping into emerging digital technologies and allowing hospitals to offer powerful educational video-on-demand services to patients. TIGR has the largest network of healthcare video-on-demand systems in the U.S and continues to evolve with new technology and hospital-driven software innovations.
TeleHealth launched its proprietary TigrNet interactive system in 2004, bringing the expanded content of the Internet directly to the patient’s television, further allowing hospitals to deliver a variety of information applications in-room at the touch of a button. In 2005, TeleHealth marketed the first healthcare-listed high-definition LCD TV and was among the first companies to deploy off-air high-definition channels in patient rooms.
In 2006, TLC acquired Hospital Communication Systems, the Raleigh-based provider of nurse-call, security and interactive televisions systems to healthcare facilities throughout the U.S. This acquisition was in response to the convergence of various communications technologies in hospitals and the need to offer a broad-spectrum of services tailored to the healthcare market.
In 2008, Telerent exceeded $100 million in revenue and held more than $125 million in assets. In addition to the TeleHealth Services business, Telerent provides financing for hospitals, diagnostic imaging centers, and multi-physician practices through TLC HealthCare Finance. Telerent also provides equipment leasing services to hotels and franchise restaurants through our Vendor Capital Group brand.
In 2008 TeleHealth Services acquired all Instant HealthLine business (formerly SVI Healthcare, Inc.) and assumed responsibility for servicing and supporting more than 150 IHL customers.
Over the past 50 years, our innovative products, resolute corporate leadership team and hundreds of dedicated employees have enabled TeleHealth to become the largest and most successful provider of healthcare education, entertainment and communications systems in the United States. TeleHealth Services has brought together products, business partners, services, and experienced and dedicated employees with one purpose in mind: healthcare service excellence. TeleHealth Services is the nation’s leading provider of integrated communications solutions for the healthcare market: bedside access to entertainment; education and services; patient and staff video-on-demand education systems; healthcare televisions and accessories; education and entertainment content; system installation, maintenance and financing services.
Please let us be a part of your healthcare facility’s future!