Community Health Of Central Washington is offering Telehealth appointments 

Here is what Telemedicine at CHCW clinics can do for YOU!

*Please note that not all concerns can be addressed via Telehealth

 Easy Access

  • You can have a live visit with your Provider in your home via your phone, tablet or computer

  • Most telehealth visits don’t require an in-person exam

Convenience

  • No need to spend time driving

  • No need to take significant time off work or find a babysitter

  • Makes frequent monitoring of chronic conditions easier

  • Mobility issues are not a problem

  • Save money

  • Save Gas

Safety and Better Health

  • Less chance of catching a new illness

  • Perfect for addressing mental health concerns from the privacy of your home

  • HIPAA compliant video appointments

  • Telehealth visits can address a number of concerns such as rashes, allergies, pink eye, cough, and cold symptoms, anxiety, depression, allergies, behavioral concerns, management of chronic conditions, and more.

  • Telehealth visits are done by a CHCW provider and often require no in-person exam.

  • If needed, the provider may ask you to come to the clinic for vital signs, labs, or a brief exam.

  • Telehealth visits are usually covered by insurance like any visit to our office. Please contact your insurance to see how telehealth visits are covered or call us at (509) 653-2235

 

Our on-site pharmacy is now offering curbside pick-up, next-day home delivery, and mail out services.  If you’d like more details click here. To transfer your prescriptions, please call

(509) 494-6719 today.

To find out more or get your telehealth visit started, call your clinic

For more detailed information on Telemedicine, see below:

CWFM

Main: (509) 452-4520

We are currently open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM.

CHCW Ellensburg

Main: (509) 962-1414

We are currently open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Highland Clinic

Main: (509) 673-0044

Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Naches Clinic

Phone: (509) 653-2235

We are open Monday though Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Yakima Pediatrics

Phone: (509) 575-0114

We are currently open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.

convenience for patient

1. Convenience for the patient

No need to leave home for a trip or worry about acquiring an infection from another patient. Patients spend a lot of money and time seeking healthcare. With a telehealth visit, the doctor comes to the patient on their phone, laptop, or another digital device.

Imagine how the costs of travel, parking, childcare, and taking time off work can accumulate. The additional effort that it takes to travel to a remote doctor’s facility can be stressful, but it is the costs that can really add up. In some rural regions, patients must travel overnight to reach specialists in more urban regions. Oregon Health and Science University saved their patients $6.4 million annually in travel costs by implementing a telemedicine program.

One UPMC patient survey showed that 40% of their patients said if they did not have access to a virtual visit, they would skip treatment because of the burden of excessive travel to their facilities.

With telehealth, clinicians can extend their patient base beyond facilities, extending hours, and creating new and more convenient models for their patients.

 

2. Expands access to care and reaches more patients

Telehealth can be used to reach patients in rural areas and outside the normal care delivery systems. The tool can be used for midlevel patient education as well as physician diagnosis, reaching a variety of people in new ways.

Telehealth improves healthcare quality, particularly in rural settings. That’s because the technology can improve service delivery and treatment of acute conditions. Telehealth is also being used to divert unnecessary ER visits. It also improves the convenience of receiving treatment by allowing patients to receive care without traveling long distances.

Expands access to care and reaches

3. Telehealth reduces healthcare costs

Home monitoring programs can reduce high-cost hospital visits. Home monitoring of chronic diseases is reducing hospital visits by as much as 50% by keeping patients stable through daily monitoring. Telehealth support to Intensive Care Units (often called eICUs) is reducing mortality rates by 15 – 30% and substantially reducing complications and length of stay.

4. Telehealth improves health outcomes

Patients diagnosed and treated earlier often have improved outcomes and less costly treatments. Patients with Telehealth supported ICU’s have substantially reduced mortality rates, reduced complications, and reduced hospital stays. A recent study showed that with telemedicine, patients had:

1. 38% fewer hospital admissions

2. 31% fewer hospital re-admissions

3. 63% more likely to spend fewer days in the hospital

Additionally, patients were more engaged in their healthcare, and telehealth appointments can empower patients to play an active role in their healthcare.

The national average for re-admission to hospitals within 30 days following a heart failure episode is 20%. Telehealth monitoring programs have reduced that level to less than 4%.

Telehealth improves health outcomes

5. Helps Patients With Limited Mobility

For those patients who struggle with traveling to care settings, telehealth can make a significant difference in wellbeing.

Senior patients aren’t the only people dealing with mobility issues. Patients who don’t have a reliable means of transportation or who struggle with mobility challenges or disabilities that make traveling difficult, remote access can be a huge quality of life improvement. This is especially true for those living with chronic conditions for which frequent checkups are necessary.