Medical centers provide alternatives to in-office visits

WELL + BEING

Medical centers provide alternatives to in-office visits Telemedicine visits, drive-through options and mobile clinics have become the norm during the pandemic — and they might be the future, too

written by LAUREN LAROCCA

At a time when medical care is of the utmost importance, many people have hesitated to visit doctors’ offices for fear of putting themselves at risk for contracting COVID-19. While several hospitals, medical centers and urgent-care locations in the area provided virtual-care options to patients prior to the arrival of the coronavirus, they have leaned into and expanded their telemedicine offerings during the pandemic and have seen a huge uptick in usage. WVU Medicine

WVU Medicine saw a major increase in video visits and phone consultations throughout the first few months of the pandemic, especially after many insurance companies waived

the co-pay fee typically associated with telemedicine services. For a few months, WVU Medicine also made urgent-care visits free, even for people who had no insurance. “That was really instrumental for us because it allowed us to switch gears,” said Aaron Henry, vice president of ambulatory operations at WVU Medicine. “We kind of chuckle and say that we did the work of four years in four weeks, getting all of our physicians online for video. “For the majority of appointments, we found that the video visits work really well, especially when the patients don’t want to come in, and they allowed us to accommodate the large number of patients we were seeing before. They function just like a regular visit. Most visits are less laying on of hands and more conversation between doctor and patient — what are your medications, how are you feeling, do you have any symptoms, and so on.” WVU Medicine never stopped in-person visits, but at one point, about half of all visits were virtual, Henry said. Now about 10% of appointments are virtual, across urgent-, special- and primary-care visits. WellSpan Health

WellSpan Health moved in a similar fashion, having offered virtual options in the past, but ramping them up when COVID hit. “WellSpan Health has experienced a monumental increase in the number of digital visits since the start of the pandemic,” said Dr. Stephen Flack of WellSpan Family Niki Hinckle, vice presMedicine in Chambersburg, Pa., uses a computer for a virtual visit with a patient. ident of operations. Photo by Niki Hinckle WellSpan conducted an average of 1,900 video visits per day in April, matching the number of video visits during all of 2019. In August, an average of about 10,500 video and phone visits were done each week across its primary- and specialty-care practices. “We have been reimagining the way we deliver care to accommodate social distancing and provide the safest possible environment for our patients. … We believe in harnessing the power of a ‘what if’ culture among our staff to come up with new, innovative ideas,” Hinckle said. “For flu vaccinations, underway right now, WellSpan patients have the option to call ahead and arrange for a flu injection to happen in the parking lot, right in the comfort of their car.” WellSpan also offers 24/7 care through WellSpan Online Urgent Care, seven days a week.

45

Reese Cochran is a radiologic technologist at Valley Health Urgent Care Spring Mills. Submitted photo

Rob Snider is paramedic and clinical coordinator at Valley Health Urgent Care Spring Mills. Submitted photo

Valley Health

Valley Health Urgent Care modified its offerings at various locations.

“We never closed, but we implemented telehealth options (in March) for community members who were potentially nervous about coming in,” said Kristy Shannon, director of Valley Health Urgent Care in Martinsburg, W.Va. “We also utilized it to do some prescreening for patients so we could eliminate any extra time that they might have to spend in the clinic.” Patients can check in online through the Valley Health website or call the clinic for a telehealth visit, undergo an advanced screening and then receive a link for their virtual visit. Completing paperwork online also speeds up the process, keeping the “urgent” in urgent care. Whether they walk in or schedule a virtual visit, patients’ waiting time is still typically less than an hour. Meritus Health

Primarily as a way to minimize in-person traffic, several Meritus offices adopted video visits, something they had not offered before the pandemic.

46

“Thankfully, we’re in the age and day of FaceTime and Facebook Live and other video chats, where this seems almost like an extension of that, except it’s a medical discussion,” said Dr. Mahesh Krishnamoorthy, an internist at Meritus Internal Medicine – Robinwood, Suite 150. The staff and patients expeDr. Mahesh Krishnamoorthy rienced only a slight learning curve, he said, and now that the system and technology are in place, ensuring privacy and with a steady workflow implemented, he believes telemedicine will continue long after the pandemic is a thing of the past. “I can safely say that virtual care as a modality of engaging with and caring for patients is here to stay,” Krishnamoorthy said. “I don’t think it’s going to go away because we have seen the benefits firsthand — both physicians and patients — and the technology enables us to connect with patients literally anywhere … as long as they have access to the medical records and they have internet access. This is expected to be part of our toolkit now.”

In addition to mobile COVID clinic and testing sites, Meritus plans to set up clinics throughout the area to prepare for flu season. Because of the overlap in symptoms between the flu and coronavirus, when flu season hits, patients exhibiting symptoms will need to be isolated from those who need emergency care unrelated to the flu or COVID, in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus among staff and patients. — Places

13613 Pennsylvania Ave. Hagerstown, MD 21742

Holiday fare . . .

Christmas Hams

Taking orders for Bay Oysters Homemade Fruit Cakes

Order your Favorite Pie Homemade Chips

Old Fashioned Candy

Mon-Fri 8-6, Sat 8-5 301-733-3778 Holiday baking . . .

Full line of Baking Supplies Nuts and Dried Fruits

Fruit Cake Supplies Large Selection of Chocolate Redi-made Candy Centers Candy Boxes & Molds

Custom Soft Fashions

For Any Style Home

• Decorator Fabrics • Valances and Cornices • Draperies and Sheers • Pillows and Cushions • Roman Shades • Drapery Rods

Free Home Consultation We Install Blinds, Shades, Shutters Olde Town Touch Window Fashions • Home Decor 19776 Longmeadow Rd, Hagerstown 301-302-7311 • M-F 10-5, Sat 10-3 www.oldetowntouch.com