Bethlehem, PA (1/5/2016) – St. Luke’s University Health Network now offers Care Anywhere, a convenient way for patients to be treated by a doctor anywhere in Pennsylvania at any time of day or night.
Care Anywhere is the first service of its kind in the region to offer telemedicine which enables patients to be seen for health issues using smart phones or computers.
St. Luke’s Care Anywhere allows a patient to communicate quickly with a clinician from a smartphone, tablet or computer. During a live, private, on-screen video visit, a doctor evaluates, diagnoses, and treats the patient’s condition and also prescribes medication if needed.
“The convenience of this service is incredible. Smartphones and mobile devices are used for almost everything and now they can be used for a doctor’s visit as well” said Ray Midlam, VP, Planning and Business Development, St. Luke’s University Health Network. “Patients may be seen from work or home at any hour without having to drive to the doctor’s office. The service is great for when your doctor’s office is closed or when you just don’t feel like leaving the house,” he said.
“Rather than waiting to see a doctor the next day, or taking time off from work, this service is available quickly, conveniently and inexpensively,” Midlam continued. Consumers pay the $49 fee by credit card at the time of service, explained Midlam.
St. Luke’s Care Anywhere is available in Pennsylvania for patients 18 years or older and patients 12 years or older when accompanied by a guardian. It is designed to provide easy access to St. Luke’s services when patients need it, according to Dr. Robert Dolansky, Network Director, Urgent Care, St. Luke’s University Health Network.
To use the service, patients can visit slhn.org/careanywhere to download the app and create an account. Patients then simply login when they need to see a doctor. The secure video visit is similar to any other doctor’s visit. Based on a conversation and visual assessment, a medical diagnosis may be made and the patient treated accordingly, explained Dr. Dolansky.
Common complaints that can be treated include sore throats, viruses, flu symptoms, fever, ear aches, coughs, headaches, upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and skin rashes.
The St. Luke’s Care Anywhere app may be downloaded from the iTunes App Store or Google Play by searching for St. Luke’s Care Anywhere. Visit slhn.org/careanywhere for a short video about the service.
Health care consumers expect convenient and easily accessible services, and St. Luke’s Care Anywhere will help meet that demand, Dr. Dolansky said. St. Luke’s Care Anywhere is among many services St. Luke’s offers or will be offering in the near future to provide more convenient access to health care.
“Many of the faces patients see during visits with the St. Luke’s Care Anywhere medical professionals will be familiar to patients who use St. Luke’s Care Now walk-in sites,” Dr. Dolansky said. St. Luke’s has partnered with American Well, a telehealth software and services company. American Well is providing the technology platform and additional board-certified healthcare professionals as part of the 24-hour service.
St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a non-profit, regional, fully integrated, nationally recognized network providing services at six hospitals and more than 215 sites, primarily in Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania and in Warren County, New Jersey.
About American Well American Well is a telehealth provider making online doctor visits accessible to everyone for care issues such as colds or infections, and chronic condition management including diabetes or depression. It delivers healthcare into people’s homes and workplaces through collaborations with top health plans, health systems and employers, as well as our telehealth app, Amwell. A patient using Amwell can be connected to a board-certified doctor for a visit carried out over smartphone, tablet, kiosk, phone, or desktop computer. For more information visit www.americanwell.com.
Information Provide By:
Mariella Miller
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
St. Luke’s University Health Network
mariella.miller@sluhn.org
