The COVID-19 pandemic has made hospitals and clinics change the way they deliver care and for one rural hospital in Jefferson that includes doing virtual patient visits.

Greene County Medical Center Interim Chief Nursing Officer Debbie Saylor says they are starting to use telehealth services more since the COVID-19 grew into a global pandemic. Prior to the virus, Saylor says they primarily used the virtual capability for providers to visit with patients wherever they were via a computer screen with behavioral health clients. Since COVID-19, Saylor notes they have been using telehealth for additional behavioral health as well as rural health clinics. She describes the advantages of using telehealth and how the hospital is using it during the pandemic.

“To offer those telehealth services that meet the guidelines of stay at home and at the same time meeting our goal of limiting personal protective equipment usage in our clinics. The only two mechanisms for telehealth that we have in place are telephone and virtual video calls by way of a laptop using Zoom (video conferencing).”

Saylor says recently Medicare and Medicaid is allowing telehealth to be a billable service. She points out the prospect of the medical center utilizing telehealth more frequently in the future.

“Especially in a rural community it makes it so much easier and more convenient for patients who have chronic diseases. Instead of having to make a monthly visit to the physician, to be able to have their visit in the convenience of their own home and their provider visiting them on a virtual basis.”

Saylor adds, some ways the medical center is looking to expand telehealth services is by adding additional video stations and clinical equipment so providers can do a more virtual expansive examination of a patient.