eVisit

As a safety net health system, NYC Health + Hospitals is committed to addressing social determinants of health and bridging health disparity gaps. In our recent webinar, part of our Virtually Integrated Care series, Erfan Karim discussed the need to enhance the healthcare experience for patients while reducing the impact of barriers to access, including language or digital literacy. Powered by eVisit, Virtual ExpressCare offers 24/7 access to timely and appropriate care in over 200 languages, expanding access to underserved communities. Erfan highlighted eVisit's role in providing multiple entry points for patients to connect, such as audio/video and audio-only phone calls. These options cater to patient populations who are not familiar with smartphone technology or lack broadband access—an issue affecting approximately 30% of NYC households, particularly among Black, Hispanic, low-income, and senior communities. ExpressCare and eVisit have developed strategies to guide patients through their health literacy journey, seamlessly converting from audio to video visits as needed. NYC's linguistic diversity underscores the critical need to address language barriers that often prevent patients from connecting to a healthcare professional. NYC Health + Hospitals facilities have key healthcare information available in the top 13 languages spoken across NYC. Erfan Karim described how a proactive approach guarantees accessibility to vital information—from medical consents to discharge instructions—for all patients, irrespective of their primary language. eVisit’s robust technology allows clinicians to swiftly add professional interpreters from preferred partners, covering over 200 languages—including ASL—to virtual visits. Erfan Karim emphasized the continued need to integrate diverse language service providers into workflows, ensuring comprehensive support at every step of the patient journey. The increased visibility of professional interpreters ensures more effective, equitable, and culturally responsive services that keep New Yorkers safer and healthier. #healthaccess #interpreterservices #virtualcare #digitalhealth

One platform. Multiple use cases. We offer a breadth of virtual care workflows that improve outcomes across the care continuum. Whether the focus is on virtual nursing, ED tele-triage, telestroke, tele-ICU, behavioral health, virtual primary and/or urgent care, or all of the above, our team works closely together with the health system to build a seamless experience for both the providers and the patients. Your providers. Our platform. Building virtual care workflows together. #virtualcare #digitalhealth #healthsystems #virtualnursing #telehealth

As part of our Virtually Integrated Care series, Erfan Karim highlighted the importance of optimizing staffing to meet patient needs efficiently across NYC Health + Hospitals’ ExpressCare program. "The only thing that's important is that interaction between the patient and that physician or clinician,” Erfan Karim emphasized. “That’s what all of this is about. How do we make that painless? How do we make that shine in a way where the physician and the patient doesn’t feel overwhelmed?" Utilizing data-informed projection methods, staffing levels are adjusted dynamically to match demand to virtually cover the vast geographic breadth of New York City. The bunkered staff model, with multiple concurrent providers and support staff per service line working remotely, not only improves efficiency but also enhances provider satisfaction and retention. Erfan Karim highlighted that in a hypothetical scenario where all of these interactions were in-person, the system would need 2 to 3 times more staff. As demonstrated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, hybrid and remote models proved the most efficient and allowed NYC Health + Hospitals ExpressCare to flexibly allocate resources to serve all New Yorkers. To hear more from Erfan and get a behind-the-scenes look at NYC Health + Hospitals’ Virtual ExpressCare, check out the full webinar available here - https://lnkd.in/g65kiZbN 

Join us on September 30th for the next installment of our Virtually Integrated Care series. This webinar will focus on how to start, grow, and scale a telestroke program. We'll be in conversation with Dr. Andrew Watson and Dr. Matthew Starr from UPMC. Background - UPMC's telestroke program has been critical in increasing inpatient care across stroke, neurology, critical care, psychology, and toxicology to people in rural areas. Their program has delivered over 40,000 consults to date with a 92% decrease in wait times. Save your (virtual) seat by registering here: https://lnkd.in/gSdrSuCz And to see more from the series — including virtual urgent care, oncology, behavioral health — plus our telestroke white paper (in collaboration with CHIME), you can access the full library here - https://lnkd.in/g9ba2QdJ #telestroke #virtualcare #telehealth #teleICU #emergencydepartments #virtualcareplatforms

With an average wait time of less than 5 minutes and access in over 200 languages, Virtual ExpressCare offers timely care to all New Yorkers. Erfan Karim highlighted the program’s ability to provide immediate access to clinicians for assessments, thereby preventing care delays and addressing critical access challenges. The service allows patients to access high-quality care on their terms in a comfortable, private setting — whether it’s their home, a public library, a shelter, or another partner-established location. Virtual ExpressCare’s diversified offerings cater to the varied needs of New Yorkers, providing timely access to essential physical, behavioral, and reproductive services: 1. Virtual Urgent Care: Patients are connected to an emergency medicine-trained physician within minutes from any location for an initial assessment, determining if they need testing, long-term care, or emergency transport. 2. Behavioral Health Services: Services expanded to include 24/7 access to psychiatrists, social workers, addiction counselors, and support staff for brief interventions, assessments, and stabilization, including treatment for substance use disorders to meet patients’ needs when they are ready. 3. Reproductive Health: An initiative was launched last year to make sexual and reproductive health more accessible, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. Patients receive a full assessment, make informed decisions with providers, and have medication kits mailed to their homes within 48 hours. “We think about how do we interact with that patient,” Erfan explained. “How do we get them to be engaged with our providers, and how do they do it in a manner where we don't take too much out of their busy lives.” Centering patient engagement is at the core of NYC Health + Hospitals' approach. Erfan Karim highlighted the importance of enhancing patient-provider interactions while minimizing disruption to their daily lives. By eliminating the need for patients to take time off work, spend money on transportation, or delay their initial appointments, the Virtual ExpressCare program ensures equitable access to high-quality, patient-centered care. To hear more from Erfan, a recipient of the 2024 Modern Healthcare Innovator Award, and learn how the 2024 Best in KLAS winning eVisit platform powers virtual urgent care initiatives, download the full webinar here - https://lnkd.in/g65kiZbN #virtualurgentcare #virtualcareplatforms #healthaccess #healthsystems #patientexperience

In our recent webinar, Erfan Karim (AVP of Mobile Integrated Health and Executive Director of ExpressCare at NYC Health + Hospitals) discussed how the Virtual ExpressCare program is a valuable solution for diverting lower acuity cases away from ambulances and overwhelmed EDs. As the largest public healthcare system in the United States, NYC Health + Hospitals serves over 1.2 million New Yorkers annually, including a substantial number of uninsured and underinsured individuals. Its emergency departments are among the busiest in the nation, often facing challenges such as longer wait times for less emergent cases, as priority is given to more urgent situations like trauma or heart attacks. Consider this scenario: it’s 10 p.m., and someone is experiencing a cold, cough, or dental pain without access to their primary care physician or urgent care. They call 911 for medical attention. Instead of dispatching an ambulance immediately, NYC Health + Hospitals has partnered with the city to route that 911 call to Virtual ExpressCare. Many times, a trip to the ED can be avoided, resolving the issue via a virtual urgent care visit. This approach prevents unnecessary ambulance transports, freeing them up for higher acuity situations like heart attacks or strokes. During a Virtual ExpressCare visit, providers can determine if an ED trip is necessary and call for an ambulance when needed. For non-emergent cases, alternative transport options such as taxis or for-hire vehicles can be utilized. Additionally, patients discharged from the ED are informed about Virtual ExpressCare for future non-emergency situations. Erfan Karim emphasized optimizing healthcare processes and enhancing patient-doctor relationships by making interactions “quicker, better, and stronger.” By integrating these innovative solutions, NYC Health + Hospitals aims to improve patient outcomes, reduce unnecessary ED visits, and ensure timely care where and when it’s needed. Stay tuned for more clips from our virtual urgent care webinar featuring Erfan Karim, recipient of the 2024 Modern Healthcare Innovator award. #virtualurgentcare #emergencydepartments #EDTriage #healthsystems #virtualcare #digitalhealth

Over the next three weeks, we’ll be looking at virtual urgent care and its pivotal role in improving patient access to timely care. We’re excited to feature insights from Erfan Karim, AVP of Mobile Integrated Health and Executive Director of ExpressCare at NYC Health + Hospitals AND recipient of the 2024 Modern Healthcare Innovator Award. As the largest public healthcare system in the United States, NYC Health + Hospitals serves over 1.2 million New Yorkers annually. Erfan will share his expertise across key areas, including: 1. Emergency Department Impact: How Virtual ExpressCare diverts non-emergent cases from overwhelmed emergency departments, reducing resource strain and optimizing efficiency 2. Addressing Barriers: Tackling language and digital literacy challenges to ensure equitable access for underserved populations 3. Comprehensive Service Lines: Providing virtual access to essential services such as urgent care, behavioral health, and reproductive health 4. Innovative Staffing: Leveraging remote and hybrid staffing models to scale staffing efficiently across New York City and ensure timely care delivery Stay tuned as we dive deeper into how virtually integrated solutions help NYC Health + Hospitals bring timely care to New Yorkers where and when they need it most! #virtualcare #telemedicine #virtualurgentcare #healthcareinnovation #patientaccess

Hope you've enjoyed clips from our recent webinar featuring Variety Care, the largest FQHC in Oklahoma. Starting next week, we're shifting our focus to virtual urgent care, showcasing the amazing work happening at NYC Health + Hospitals. But before we turn the page, here are a couple more resources from our health access webinar featuring Variety Care. Recap Blog - https://lnkd.in/gfK2rewB This blog includes 6 clips from the webinar addressing: 1. Health access in rural communities 2. Programs/service lines seeing high virtual care adoption vs. low adoption 3. Patient experience - Solving digital literacy and connectivity issues 4. What to look for in a technology partner 5. Building provider-friendly virtual care workflows 6. Navigating change management - Provider & Executive buy-in You can also access the full webinar here - https://lnkd.in/duMGX9w5 And check out more content from our Virtually Integrated Care series featuring Banner Health (virtual oncology), NYC Health + Hospitals (virtual urgent care), and UPMC (telestroke). #virtualcare #healthaccess #FQHC #virtuallyintegratedcare #virtualcareplatforms #digitalhealth

With any major technology change, there will always be some form of resistance and fear of the unknown within the health system. How do you navigate these conversations? What's the difference between gaining executive buy-in vs. provider buy-in? Let's start with executive buy-in. Dr. Lydia Nightingale emphasized that successful change management requires a deep understanding of the cultural shifts needed, particularly for those accustomed to long-standing practices. The key is to shift cultural attitudes and make new methods, like virtual care, a primary option rather than a last resort. Dr. Nightingale also stressed the significance of identifying and supporting early adopters who can champion new initiatives. With the executive team, it's important to focus on key metrics such as provider burnout, retention, quality outcomes, patient satisfaction, and framing change as solutions to systemic challenges. The more data that can be collected on these specific metrics, the better. How about provider buy-in? Both Dr. Nightingale and Robb Wetmore, MHR encouraged health systems to stay motivated by the core mission of healthcare—providing high-quality care to patients—while being open to innovative solutions that can enhance care delivery. They emphasized the importance of collaboration to ensure that all stakeholders feel engaged and supported throughout the process. Robb Wetmore advised organizations to not just focus on implementing new tools but to understand the specific problems they aim to solve. He underscored the importance of partnering with experts who know the landscape and can guide effective program development, cautioning against being swayed by superficial sales pitches. Thorough research and solving specific problems with the right programs and partners are essential for long-term success. #changemanagement #newtechnology #virtualcareplatforms #healthsystems #CMO #CMIO #providerexperience

Proud to partner with UPMC Enterprises! And stay tuned Monday (Sept. 9) for the official announcement regarding our upcoming telestroke webinar featuring two special guests from UPMC.