Posted By Eric Berger on Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 10:53 AM click to enlarge MERCY St. Louis-based Catholic health system Mercy became a pioneer in telehealth in 2015 when it opened a virtual care center in Chesterfield.
This story was originally published by Kaiser Health News. When Tom Becker was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in March 2020, the 60-year-old EMS helicopter pilot from Washington, Missouri, worried he would never fly again. But his cardiologist, Dr. Christopher Allen, had served in the Air Force and knew aviation physiology. So Becker felt reassured when Allen told him he didn’t expect any problems, because Becker was still fairly young.
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Climate change has been called the biggest threat that humanity has ever faced yet is being propelled by the very system meant to enhance people s quality of life.
While healthcare institutions continue to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, some are turning to telemedicine to curb the issue. The potential [of telemedicine] is very significant, and it allows us to increasingly treat people in their homes without patients needing to travel, Dr. Peter Yellowlees, the former president of the American Telemedicine Association and the current chief wellness officer at UC Davis Health, told
MobiHealthNews. It also allows, potentially, physicians and nurses to work from home, which again is a further savings.
Virtual care spreads in Missouri health system, home to ‘hospital without beds’
When Tom Becker was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in March 2020, the 60-year-old EMS helicopter pilot from Washington, Missouri, worried he would never fly again.
But his cardiologist, Dr. Christopher Allen, had served in the Air Force and knew aviation physiology. So Becker felt reassured when Allen told him he didn t expect any problems, because Becker was still fairly young.
Allen told Becker who lives about 50 minutes away from his office at Mercy Hospital South, near St. Louis that Becker could call his cellphone with any concerns and meet with him virtually. Becker estimates they had more than 10 video appointments over six months.
Virtual Care Spreads in Missouri, Home to Hospital Without Beds medscape.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from medscape.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Once an innovative outlier in the world of health and life sciences, telemedicine has exponentially gained ground in the current landscape shaped by COVID-19 restrictions. Ann Mond Johnson CEO of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) plans to help this momentum continue until she’s ensured that everyone including those in rural and underserved communities, urban areas and our most vulnerable patients has permanent access to quality care via telehealth.
Ann recently participated in Faegre Drinker’s
Leaders in Health and Life Sciences webinar series, an internal event where clients and friends of the firm share their perspectives with our professionals. In a livestreamed conversation with Partner Libby Baney, Ann discussed her mission at the ATA, how the organization pivoted when the pandemic hit and what’s next for the telehealth industry.