A number of CentraState Healthcare System medical practices are now offering convenient virtual healthcare services, allowing current and new patients to access the services of our board-certified primary care and specialty physicians from the comfort of their homes and reducing their risk of exposure to coronavirus.
CentraState’s telemedicine service was designed to enable CentraState providers to engage with their current and new patients remotely through video encounters, leveraging a COVID-19 screener and a symptom tracker as needed for patients exposed to the virus, with or without symptoms. Additionally, clinicians can deliver remote care to patients seeking other appointment types, including wellness appointments and visits for chronic conditions or other illnesses. Practices offering this service include:
“To better serve the local community amid the coronavirus pandemic, we are proud to offer virtual healthcare services that our patients can utilize from the safety and comfort of their homes,” said Robert Pedowitz, D.O., FACOFP, medical director of Family Practice of CentraState.
To schedule a telehealth appointment, patients simply call their physician’s office as they would with a standard in-office appointment. The patient will talk to a live person to schedule their visit and then will receive a text message to download the telehealth app, called Noteworth, onto their mobile device. The app walks the patient through a simple registration and screening process. At the time of the scheduled appointment, the patient connects to a secure video call with their healthcare provider.
Existing patients benefit from having a visit with their own local physician who has access to their medical records and their health history. New patients benefit from being able to establish a relationship with a primary care physician who can see the patient in person if needed. At the end of the virtual appointment, patients are provided with a digital to-do list complete with follow-up instructions. For COVID-19 patients who are told to monitor symptoms at home, this includes a daily symptom check that is submitted to the physician’s office through the secure app.
Telehealth is covered by most private insurance policies, and in March, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded access to telehealth visits for those with Medicare and Medicaid in response to the coronavirus outbreak. This allows current Medicare and Medicaid patients to communicate with their doctors without having to travel to a healthcare facility.
To find a CentraState primary care or specialty physician that participates in the Noteworth telemedicine program, visit www.centrastate.com/find-a-physician.