Posted: 1/17/2024
New year, new approaches to virtual care
Parkland Health unveiled its first telehealth pod on Tuesday, marking the start of an exciting new journey for virtual care. The new Video Visit Booth is located at Inspired Vision Compassion Center (IVCC) in the 75217 ZIP Code, one of several communities identified in the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment with significant health disparities.
“We are really excited to be launching this pod and to be piloting it in the Southeast sector,” Molly Case, RN, MHA, director of virtual care at Parkland Health said. “We recognize that not all the individuals we serve have strong internet or cell phone connectivity and that digital literacy varies, so we are providing opportunities in the community to make receiving care easier.”
The Video Visit Booth is used for attending scheduled telehealth visits and for scheduling same day telehealth appointments with Parkland physicians and advanced practice providers remotely via audio-video communication. Each booth is a private and sound-dampening “pod” designed to accommodate one individual at a time.
“This is very exciting for our patient population, for Parkland Health and for Dallas County,” Case said. “This has been a long time coming and it is a project that we are very passionate about. We are proud to be offering our patients different and creative opportunities to receive their healthcare.”
IVCC partners with Parkland and its community health workers weekly through the Access to Care & Coverage Program which brings health screenings and financial assistance resources to the their facility every Tuesday.
“The pod is a perfect complement to our health screening services, as we frequently identify individuals who need a medical appointment,” said Colette White, director of Disease Prevention & Health Promotion and operational lead of Parkland’s Access to Care initiative. “Now the appointment can take place conveniently in their community while receiving other services.”
Parkland is currently offering these appointments on demand, allowing patients to be seen virtually the same day in many cases. Teadran White, DC, CEO of IVCC is equally excited about the new addition to the food bank and resource center. Her staff is often asked for referrals to doctors daily, which further highlights the need for equitable access to healthcare in the area.
“The video visit booth takes our partnership with Parkland to a whole new level. When the Community Health Needs Assessment found that our region had an alarmingly high rate of health disparities, I knew we had a lot of opportunities to help the community in Pleasant Grove,” said Dr. White.
Dr. White recognizes the role that access to care plays in health outcomes, especially in areas that historically lack access to healthy food options. She operates a volunteer-run food bank that provides families with not just groceries, but resources for healthy living.
“Parkland is such a trusted name, people might be hesitant to try these booths in other places but because we’ve built such a rapport with Parkland they’ll feel secure in seeking healthcare at our site,” she said.
The booth is equipped with a desktop computer, keyboard, webcam, and a binder with step-by-step instructions to assist community members through the video visit process. Patients will join their visit by logging into MyChart, completing eCheck-in and connecting to the visit portal. The provider is immediately alerted when the patient is checked in and ready for their appointment, much like an in-person visit.
“That is a big priority for us when it comes to virtual care, we aim to keep everything as close to how it would be in-person as possible,” Case emphasized. “If a nurse needs to be involved, then they will hop in to review any changes to the patient’s chart. Our patients deserve a thorough experience, and we want to ensure that our providers are set up for success when they join the call.”
For more information about Parkland’s virtual care services, visit www.parklandhealth.org/virtual-care.