Wautaga Medical Center of Boone, North Carolina
Part of Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, Wautaga Medical Center in rural Boone, North Carolina, already was busy before COVID-19 hit, and leadership knew their current hospitalist staff could not handle the onslaught of patients coming through during the pandemic.
THE PROBLEM
The medical center was looking for a solution that would help provide staffing for the 12-hour day shift. Wautaga already had three inpatient teams and was looking for a telemedicine company to handle a fourth.
The nearest tertiary referral hospital is 90 minutes away, and half of the time helicopters are not able to fly there because of extreme weather. Watauga Medical Center is a Medicare five-star-rated hospital and wanted a telehealth company that could provide the same high quality of care.