Blog Detail

19 May, 2020

But there is a downside. Simply running a search for medical blogs.

March 2020 will be a month that’s not soon forgotten. It was when the COVID-19 pandemic became a reality for many in the U.S., when schools were closed to in-person learning, and workplaces encouraged non-essential employees to work from home. Businesses and community organizations adapted to help deliver important services to the community. That was particularly true in health care.

“We created and implemented a new care model for seeing patients and their families,” Dr. Esper explains. “From launching video visits on the outpatient side to the ability to link together our palliative care team caring for COVID-19 patients in the hospital and their loved ones who couldn’t be by their side, we helped facilitate access to the most compassionate, high-quality care during an uncertain — and most needed — time.”

A cleansing hot shower or bath

Telehealth was not utilized at Emory before COVID-19 mostly because of legislation and rules that facilitated its use only in specific circumstances. As those requirements were lifted and more patients were looking for ways to see their providers, telehealth visits skyrocketed.

Before COVID-19, the number of telehealth visits at Emory Healthcare was barely noticeable. By May 2020, Emory doctors and advanced practice providers completed over 50,000 video visits. The trend has maintained almost a year later: telehealth continues to be a popular option for many patients. There are roughly 40,000 telehealth visits each month — even as restrictions lift, COVID-19 cases go down and more and more individuals are resuming their new normal.

Telehealth: A Year in Review

Fortunately, Emory Healthcare was well-positioned to meet this rising demand. Rob Sweeney, MBA, administrator for Emory Telehealth, had already been hard at work, alongside a team that included project manager Emma Winchell, information technology team members, and Elizabeth Krupinski, PhD, a national telehealth subject matter expert. In short order, they developed the systems and approaches necessary for a successful telehealth practice.