Ridgeview Medical Center Brings Care To Consumers' Fingertips

Ridgeview Medical Center is making care more convenient with the launch of RidgevieweCare – an online diagnosis and treatment service that connects customers with trusted Ridgeview providers.

RidgevieweCare is powered by Zipnosis, the first virtual care company enabling leading health systems to launch virtual care service lines staffed by their own clinicians. Using evidence-based online adaptive interviews, patients can seek care from their smartphones, tablets or computers. Patients can be treated virtually for more than 12 common health conditions including allergies, cold and flu, pinkeye, sinusitis, urinary tract infection and minor skin conditions – all for a $35 fee payable by credit, debit or health savings card.

Meeting the needs of today’s patient
“Our goal is to provide a seamless, online experience for today’s busy healthcare consumer,” said Michael Phelps, chief operating officer, Ridgeview Medical Center. “With RidgevieweCare, patients can connect with a trusted Ridgeview provider to receive care at the time and place that is convenient for them.”

After logging on to RidgevieweCare, customers complete a brief online interview through which they will enter symptom and health history information. Once a patient's symptoms are recorded, a Ridgeview clinician reviews them and responds with a diagnosis and treatment plan. If medication is appropriate, prescriptions are electronically sent to the customer’s preferred pharmacy for pick-up. RidgevieweCare can be used at any time of day, and Ridgeview providers will respond within one hour between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. weekdays, and 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekends.

The virtual care platform was developed by Zipnosis – a Minneapolis-based company that partners with leading health systems to provide virtual care and telemedicine services, meeting the needs of patients while improving access to care and maximizing clinical capacity for the health system. “We chose Zipnosis as our partner because they are a trusted, reputable name in the virtual care industry,” Phelps said.

“By implementing their new eCare service, Ridgeview is joining the ranks of leading health systems across the country that are making patient access and convenience a priority,” said Jon Pearce, Zipnosis CEO. “This is an exciting move, and positions Ridgeview well to meet the changing needs of patients in today’s digital world.”

About Ridgeview
Ridgeview Medical Center is an independent, nonprofit, regional healthcare system serving the southwest metro region of the Twin Cities. Its network includes three hospitals—located in Waconia, Arlington and Le Sueur—a multitude of primary and specialty care clinics, emergency services and specialty programs, a nursing home, independent living apartments and Two Twelve Medical Center in Chaska—a freestanding 24/7 emergency and urgent care facility with multispecialty clinics and services. For more information, visit www.ridgeviewmedical.org.

About Zipnosis
Driving the virtual care revolution, Zipnosis offers the only comprehensive, forward-thinking platform that integrates traditional telemedicine capabilities with transformative online virtual care technology to deliver a single patient experience, resulting in expanded patient access, high-quality care and proven clinical efficiencies. The pioneering virtual care platform enables organizations to leverage their own providers or our outsourced clinical services, to deliver virtual care through a variety of virtual care modalities—including online adaptive interviews, direct phone or video consultations, and our advanced triage services that direct patients into the health system’s brick-and-mortar facilities when virtual care is not appropriate. This digital “front door” delivers the widest choice of virtual care technologies and services on the market, from simple acute problems to chronic disease detection, all while improving clinician efficiency. A modern technology stack enables Zipnosis to deeply integrate with existing EMRs, portals and online scheduling tools, and it’s also the first platform to effectively link virtual care services with in-clinic laboratory testing to ensure fast and accurate diagnoses and treatment.

As a forward-thinking partner, Zipnosis ensures continuity of care while supplying physicians and patients with greater choice and access, effectively positioning healthcare organizations for success in an environment of ever-changing governmental regulations and market demands. For more information, visit www.zipnosis.com.