Virtual Medicine now Available at Oneida Health
Oneida, NY – To help meet the needs of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, Oneida Health has implemented telehealth at all of their primary care offices, Quick Care, and many of their specialty practices throughout Madison and Oneida County.
Telehealth gives patients an opportunity to have a face-to-face visit with their medical provider without a traditional visit to the office. Using telehealth, a provider can evaluate, develop a treatment plan, order medication, and if needed, schedule a follow-up appointment. Patients can access telehealth by clicking on a link sent to their smart-phone, computer, or tablet from the comfort of their home just prior to the start of their appointment.
“During this unprecedented time, it remains important for us to continue our mission to find ways to deliver care to the communities we serve,” said Gene Morreale, CEO and President at Oneida Health. “Telehealth is a convenient, secure, and user-friendly option to receive quality health care from a remote location while maintaining social distancing.”
Current patients of their primary care office or specialty practices can schedule a telehealth appointment by calling the office. Individuals seeking urgent care for non-life threatening conditions can call for an on-demand telehealth visit at one of Oneida Health’s Quick Care locations. Quick Care offers telehealth visits seven days a week during open office hours. Those who require a face-to-face visit can still come directly to the closest Quick Care location, if needed.
Some common conditions that can be treated using telehealth in a primary care setting or at Quick Care include: allergies, asthma, colds and flu, diarrhea, rashes, sore throats, toothaches, urinary tract infections, sinus infections and vomiting, to name a few. Telehealth services can vary by a health provider’s specialty. A gynecologist might use telehealth to provide birth control counseling. An endocrinologist may use it to discuss recent test results and follow-up. Each patient is triaged to determine if a telehealth visit is appropriate for the level of care they are seeking.
“As a healthcare provider, it’s important for us to address barriers to care,” said Mr. Morreale. “We have seen a number of patients recently suffer unnecessarily due to putting off care due to the pandemic. We hope that by implementing telehealth patients will be more likely to access care when they need it and when it is the most treatable. For patients who require care for life-threatening conditions, our emergency department is always open.”
Oneida Health has 32 medical providers throughout their network providing telehealth with more being added each week. Telehealth is currently covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial insurers. For more information on telehealth at Oneida Health, please visit oneidahealth.org or yourquickcare.com.
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About Oneida Health
Oneida Health serves an area comprised of approximately 29 communities in Madison and western Oneida counties with a population of approximately 100,000. Operated by Oneida Health Systems, Inc, a New York State not-for-profit corporation, the organization includes a 101-bed acute care hospital, emergency department, state of the art surgery center, 160-bed extended-care and short-term rehab facility, primary care offices, internal medicine, comprehensive lab services, home medical equipment, comprehensive imaging services, outpatient therapy, and care specialties in: oncology, neurology, podiatry, vascular, sleep, OB/GYN, orthopedics, wound care, GI, and ENT. To learn more about Oneida Health, visit www.oneidahealth.org.