Virtual visits provide instant access to medical providers in safe environment
PHOENIX (April 21, 2020) – In an extraordinary effort to serve the community’s health care needs, Banner Health has expanded services to offer patients live video visits with medical providers in a safe environment through Banner Telehealth.
Banner Telehealth allows the nonprofit health care system to better triage care for patients who have COVID-19 symptoms, without risking on-site exposure to other patients or providers. Video visits are especially useful for immunocompromised or high-risk people who are safeguarding against the virus.
These services are also available for patients who have regular health needs. This includes maintaining normal health care visits with primary care providers, as well as specialists and providers at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and Banner Urgent Care. All that’s needed is a smartphone, tablet or computer with a camera and internet access.
Banner Telehealth wasn’t originally planned to roll out to patients for several months, but Banner drastically sped up its timeline to make these services available during extraordinary circumstances from the COVID-19 pandemic. Banner Telehealth includes more than 3,000 medical providers.
Since the massive rollout started on March 23, Banner Telehealth providers have already completed more than 10,800 virtual visits.
“Telemedicine is especially important with the current situation in our country,” said Ruben Espinoza, MD, a Banner pediatrician in Mesa, Ariz. “During the virtual conversation with patients, we’re able to look at their face to see if they’re in pain, look for labored breathing, see a rash and hear their cough, as a few examples.”
To schedule a virtual visit with a medical expert, visit bannerhealth.com/telehealth.
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Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns and operates 28 acute-care hospitals, Banner Health Network, Banner – University Medicine, academic and employed physician groups, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services; including Banner Urgent Care, family clinics, home care and hospice services, pharmacies and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com.