Shannon Medical Center | Health Beat | Fall 2020

6 HEALTH BEAT Shannon Occupational Medicine introduces telemedicine visits The Shannon Occupational Medicine and Injury Clinic has always been dedicated solely to oc- cupational medicine, featuring prompt, effective care in an easy-to-access setting.The clinic has expanded this ability with the addition of tele- medicine visits direct to job site locations. In the event of a minor injury, Occupational Medicine Telehealth offers individuals the con- venience of seeing a provider virtually from a smartphone, tablet or computer instead of travel- ing to a clinic to be seen. QUICK, CONVENIENT CARE “Our goal is to provide care in the easiest way possible for those individuals who either get hurt on a job site or live out of town and cannot eas- ily travel to receive care,” says Kristin Ramirez, APRN, MSN, ACNS-BC, occupational medi- cine. “We have patients that drive in from two or three hours away. If utilizing this option is pos- sible, they would be able to save time and gas for a doctor’s visit.” Typically when an individual is injured on a job site, their safety supervisor is required to make the trip with them to receive care. “This leaves the operation with two fewer people working instead of one,” Ramirez says. “Depending on how far their job site is from our clinic, the drive here and back, plus the time it takes to complete their visit, could consume a large portion of their day. If we can cut down that wasted time, it could prove to be beneficial for both the workers and the company.” In addition to facilitating visits for minor inju- ries, the telemedicine platform can be utilized for follow-up appointments, reviewing results from scans or tests performed at a previous visit, or advice on the progression of an injury. “While this is a great tool to use, we under- stand that not all situations will be able to be covered via online video calls,” Ramirez says. “If during a telemedicine visit we see the injury or circumstance is serious enough to be seen in per- son, we will make recommendations or referrals wherever deemed necessary.The patient’s health and safety are our highest priority.” Telemedicine visits are being performed via Zoom or the doxy.me website. To learn more or to initiate a visit, please call the Shannon Occupational Medicine and Injury Clinic at 325-481-2375 or visit shannon health.com/services/occupational-medicine . Telemedicine Providing health care to our smallest patients Please visit shannonhealth.com/schoolhealth to learn more about the program. Shannon and several area schools have part- nered together with the mission to provide convenient care to the pediatric population of the community. With the use of new technology, students will now be able to be seen by a pediatric provider from the com- fort of their school nurse’s office. The Shannon School Telemedicine Pro- gram began last fall at Goliad Elementary to pilot the program during the first year. For the 2020–2021 school year, Shannon is committed to partnering with school dis- tricts within the region and further expand- ing the program. Shannon is the first health care provider in West Texas to implement a school-based telemedicine program. “At Shannon, we understand the im- portance of having a healthy child,” says Anna Pittman, RN, MSN, Chief Operat- ing Officer and Chief Nurse Officer for Shannon Clinic. “We also understand that it isn’t always easy to take time off work whenever your child suddenly gets sick at school. With the School Telemedicine Pro- gram, your child can get the care they need without making a trip to an urgent care and having to sit in a waiting room.” HOW IT WORKS Whenever a child is feeling ill and needs further care than a school nurse can pro- vide, they are able to be seen virtually through an on-demand medical exam pro- vided by TytoCare—a handheld exam kit and app that facilitates a video visit between patient and provider. “Telemedicine is exciting technology for patients,” Pittman says. “Individuals are sometimes concerned about not having a doctor physically present to assess their symptoms, as they would during a hands- on examination. TytoCare bridges this gap by providing physicians the tools to assess a patient as if they were physically present.” Each TytoCare kit contains a device with an exam camera. Additionally there is a thermometer; a blood pressure cuff; an otoscope adaptor for examining the ears; a stethoscope adaptor for heart, lung and bowel sounds; and a tongue depres- sor adaptor for the throat. With the help of the school nurse, these tools enable the physician to see, hear and conduct a true assessment for acute illnesses. After an assessment is complete, the pro- vider is able to prescribe medicine, if needed, to the family’s preferred pharmacy. All in- formation from the visit will then be shared with the parent or guardian, as well as saved in Shannon’s MyChart patient portal. PROVIDING PEACE OF MIND “An important aspect parents should keep in mind is that these visits are not meant for chronic conditions that need to be managed,” Pittman says. “This program is designed to diagnose and treat illnesses that you would normally visit Urgent Care for, such as flu, colds, strep throat, fever and rashes.” If the provider sees the child through the telemedicine program and feels at any time that the patient needs to have a fur- ther, in-person visit, they will recommend the most appropriate health care setting. “As a parent myself, I have seen that children are going to school sick,” Pittman says. “This means they are exposing not only other children, but faculty as well, to acute illnesses. Our goal is to provide con- venient access and exceptional health care to our smallest patients.” If a parent or guardian is interested in learning more about this program, they are encouraged to discuss current or future availability with their child’s school.