Telemedicine has been added to many of Sovah Physician Practices offices in Martinsville, including specialties such as internal medicine, occupational medicine, orthopedics, pediatrics, gastroenterology, obstetrics and gynecology, pulmonology, ENT, and cardiology.
The April 24 announcement came on the heels of steps taken by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), to expand access to telehealth services.
“We are pleased to offer convenient telemedicine solutions to help connect patients and providers, and ensure the continued delivery of high quality care,” said Carole McGovern, director of Physician Services Martinsville. “As the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve, telehealth capabilities enable our clinical team to practice social distancing to further reduce the spread of illness while still meeting our patients’ health needs. We look forward to the many ways this new offering will further advance our mission of Making Communities Healthier.”
For patients who meet certain clinical criteria, the physician offices below are offering televideo appointments, which is a virtual, face-to-face visit with a provider using a video conferencing service. Virtual visits may not be available in all cases and will be evaluated based on a patient’s specific clinical needs.
*Sovah Gastroenterology
*Sovah Internal Medicine – Martinsville (Aaron)
*Sovah Internal Medicine – Martinsville (Isernia)
*Sovah Heart & Vascular
*Sovah Healthcare for Women – Martinsville
*Sovah OB/GYN – Martinsville
*Sovah Occupational Medicine
*Sovah Orthopedics & Sports Medicine – Martinsville
*Sovah ENT & Allergy – Martinsville
*Sovah Pediatrics – Martinsville
*Sovah Pulmonology – Martinsville
Current and new patients can request a telehealth visit by calling their provider’s office, just as they would for an in-person visit. The provider will determine if a telehealth visit is appropriate based on the patient’s health condition. If the virtual visit is deemed clinically appropriate, the patient will be given an appointment time and instructions for the best way to connect given the available platforms. Then, instead of coming to the office, he or she would call back at the scheduled time and be “checked in” by a nurse or office manager, and then transferred to the provider for the call or two-way video.
A few restrictions on telehealth visits may apply, including that they cannot be utilized to treat patients for a condition that the patient has been seen for in the previous seven days, and they cannot be used to treat a condition that the patient is already coming in for within the next 24 hours.
Patients who are concerned they may be experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 are encouraged to consider telemedicine appointments to help further reduce the spread of respiratory illness. Leveraging telemedicine also conserves personal protective equipment (PPE) and other clinical resources that are needed when treating a patient with suspected COVID-19 in the clinic or hospital setting.
To learn more, visit SovahPhysicians.com.
