Telehealth is here to stay, and our patients are reaping the benefits.
In just a few weeks after opening, 1,390 patients from 56 counties across southwest and central Florida were able to access care via telehealth in our new virtual health center. Telehealth has allowed people in remote locations and those who couldn’t take the time to travel to our health center to receive basic care, for services like pregnancy tests and birth control, without leaving their homes.
Sujatha Prabhakaran MD, MPH, FACOG, Chief Medical Officer, is excited about the virtual health center and the convenience it will offer to both new and existing patients.
“We provide a crucial health care safety net for our communities, one that would be sorely missed if we had to decrease patient volumes for safety reasons over the long term,” she said. “To make up for having our in-person appointments spaced out, we worked rapidly to deploy a virtual health center to close the gap for our patients.”
Because of the diligence and tenacity of staff, and the support of donors like you, our virtual health center was fully operational in six weeks.
How does telehealth work?
The virtual health center is staffed by the same dedicated team of clinicians and staff practicing in our health centers. Patients can currently schedule appointments by calling, and will be able to schedule online in the next few weeks. Staff will assist and confirm which appointment type works best for each patient.
The current services administered through telehealth include:
- Pregnancy tests and pregnancy verification for Medicaid
- Gender-affirming hormone therapy
- Birth control consultations
- Family planning
- UTI and STI diagnosis and treatment
Any diagnostic tests required to confirm diagnoses or monitor hormone levels can be completed at the nearest lab facility. Prescriptions can be sent to the patient’s pharmacy of choice, held for pick up at the nearest health center, or mailed directly to the patient.
Telehealth may have come to us sooner than planned to mitigate the negative effects of this pandemic on our patient’s access to care, but it is here to stay.
Want to learn more about telehealth? Interested in funding opportunities? For more information, contact [email protected]
Tags: telehealth