MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Some changes are coming to how intensive care units operate at Ascension hospitals across Wisconsin. 

These changes include an "expansion" of services, which could mean more virtual doctors inside ICUs. 

CBS 58 spoke with an Ascension-Saint Francis nurse, who said that while doctors are currently on-site at the ICU, virtual monitors have been moved in with a planned change for virtual intensivists during certain hours. 

The nurse, who asked to remain anonymous, was told that a tele-health ICU model has been rolled out in Franklin at Ascension Southeastern Wisconsin hospital. 

Additionally, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals confirmed the union's knowledge of similar changes.

CBS 58 reached out to confirm the new telemedicine services, a spokesperson sent a statement not directly acknowledging the change but stated: 

"Beginning May 1, Midwest Critical Care - a local intensivist group currently partnering with Ascension Wisconsin - expanded their scope of service to provide critical care services for intensive care units (ICUs) at all seven Southeast Wisconsin hospitals. Ascension Wisconsin patients will continue to receive comprehensive critical care services in all Ascension Wisconsin ICUs. Midwest Critical Care will utilize a common and modern care model that promotes our critical care patients receiving around the clock access to local board-certified intensivists." 

When asked if this means virtual care, CBS 58 didn't receive a response as of Wednesday night.

A union representative with the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, Gavin Rice, told CBS 58 that "this means one less on-site resource for patient care," going on to state, "There are a lot of situations in the ICU where fast medical decisions have to be made, and not having a physician in person could lead to poor patient outcomes."

Doctor Marshall Beckman, chair of the Ethics Committee at the Medical College of Wisconsin said that this practice has been around for a while and has seen the model in small hospitals. 

"It's monitored by a remote intensivist and on-site they have an emergency department physician," he said. "They might have a hospitalist, who's trained in internal medicine or family medicine."

He states that if monitored appropriately, the model can potentially help with monitoring more patients, but that also means the in-person provider might not be board-certified for critical care. 

"They can go to the bedside and evaluate, but typically they are not trained to do the procedures and the high-level critical care decision making that might be needed," he said. 

Which brings the ethics of the practice into question. 

"I feel like, from an ethical standpoint, it depends on how you market yourself or say who you are," said Doctor Beckman. 

The Ascension Saint Francis nurse said that they personally have not received any additional training or details about the changes regarding the ICU. 

At this time, it's unclear exactly how, when or where the major changes will happen.