Don't Wait to Get the Care You Need - Video Visits are Available

Posted April 24, 2020 by UVM Health Network

Whether it be an illness, injury, or ongoing medical condition that needs attention, please know that our primary care providers across the UVM Health Network are open and ready to provide care.

“Ensuring access to medical care for our patients is a top priority for the University of Vermont Health Network. We have expanded telemedicine capabilities to meet our patients' needs while ensuring their safety as well as the safety of our clinicians and staff,” says UVM Health Network Senior Vice President and Chief Population Health and Quality Officer Howard Schapiro, MD. 

Your Health Care, at Home

As most of us stay home to help flatten the curve of the covid-19 outbreak, telehealth is one way we are helping to protect our communities while also preserving access to care. At Central Vermont Medical Center, providers have had nearly 6,000 telephone and video visits with patients and urge the community not to delay needed care. Mild or moderate symptoms and chronic conditions can worsen without attention.

“A lot of what we do in primary care is prevention, health promotion, and relationship building,” says CVMC Family Medicine physician Jeremiah Eckhaus, MD, ABHM. “I'm concerned that people are deferring maintenance on their health. The coronavirus pandemic may have changed the way we deliver that care, but through video visits, we can continue to have both essential and preventative check-ins with our patients. We want to see you.”

Here's How It Works

If you are interested in a video visit with your provider, call and ask if this option is available for you. If so, you'll be scheduled and contacted by our support team to help you prepare, which includes downloading the Zoom Cloud Meetings app either from the app store onto your iPhone or iPad or from Google Play onto your Android. If you need another option, our support staff will be able to help.

“A patient can get a lot of their own vitals from home, and that's helpful,” says Dr. Eckhaus. “We can get a pulse rate, weight, and if they have a blood pressure cuff, which a lot of my patients have, we can get their blood pressure as well.”

Some patients, like John Hopkins from Montpelier, are using their smartphone to help get vitals. “I use an app which adds a heart rhythm detector to the back of my phone. The app helps me collect data on my weight, medicine intake, blood pressure, and heart rate, all of which I can share with my doctor.”

Video visits are available in other settings such as Rehabilitation Therapy, specialty practices such as Cardiology, Gastrointestinal Medicine, OB/GYN, Psychology and Psychiatry, and to help residents at rehabilitation and nursing centers like Woodbridge at CVMC visit with their loved ones.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UVM Health Network continues to offer safe, high quality care to our communities across Vermont and northern New York. Reach out to your provider and ask if a video visit is right for you.