Washington Hospital One Of Nation's First To Offer Web, Phone Visits
By Wendy Grafius, contributing writer
Franciscan Health Systems installs a 24/7 virtual medical clinic available to the public, expects better care and less stress on staff
Franciscan Health System of Tacoma, WA, has launched Franciscan Virtual Urgent Care, a 24/7 virtual medical clinic available to the public, in partnership with Seattle-based telemedicine company, Carena. Originally piloted in 2010 as a health benefit to Franciscan’s own 15,000 employees, virtual services were extended in 2012 to the system’s primary care patients during after-hours. Now, by offering web and phone visits to all citizens of its service area, Franciscan is one of the nation’s first hospital systems to provide virtual urgent care to the public.
Serving the Puget Sound area of Washington State, the Franciscan Health System includes seven hospitals and 100 clinics. Since 2004, IMS Health has ranked the health system among the “Top 100 Integrated Health Networks” in the nation. Franciscan is a non-profit Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) affiliated organization, receiving the 2010 Achievement Citation from the Catholic Health Association for excellence in hospice care and palliative medicine.
Via phone or Skype on a smartphone, tablet, or PC, patients have access to board-certified physicians who can diagnose, plan treatment, and prescribe medications any time of the day or night. Although the virtual visits are not covered by insurance, the cost is only $35, less than the average office appointment and even more cost-effective than an emergency room visit, particularly those deemed unnecessary. “The value proposition from the system is if we can take care of people virtually, that offloads our already strained physicians’ capacity,” said Cliff Robertson, Franciscan’s chief operating officer. “Folks show up in the emergency room who don’t really need an emergency room, but that’s the only point of access they have at 10 o’clock on a Friday night. If we’re able to deliver appropriate care outside of a brick-and-mortar facility, that frees us up to treat patients that really do need our care.”
Carena’s family medicine doctors and nurse practitioners are equipped to virtually diagnose and treat dozens of common issues, with information from the visit sent to the patient’s EHR as well as follow-up and labs arranged, all within the Franciscan system. “Carena has a long history of making healthcare more accessible and affordable for patients on their terms. We have enjoyed a multi-year relationship with Franciscan, and we are thrilled to partner with them as they showcase how technology can change the face of healthcare delivery in the United States.”
SOURCE: fhshealth.org