EXPANSION OF VIRTUAL CARE IN OKLAHOMA

In 2023, OSU Medicine secured $10 million in ARPA funding to provide virtual care to rural hospitals in Oklahoma to better serve the health care needs of residents living in these areas.

Through OSU Virtual Care, OSU Medicine provides local support to rural and underserved communities through specialized clinical expertise and care coordination modalities.

The goal of virtual care is to provide an innovative, high quality health care delivery option, while also optimizing labor costs and improving economic and clinical value to all sites of care.

When a virtual evaluation is necessary, OSU Virtual Care connects providers and care teams with their patients using secure, medical-grade multimedia equipment and technology including

EKG, vital sign monitors and other electronic medical equipment needed to perform assessments of a patient’s condition.

Service lines now available through OSU Virtual Care include behavioral health, tele-cardiology, chronic care management, hospitalist, primary care, remote patient monitoring and tele-stroke.

OSU Medicine Addiction Services also provides virtual addiction treatment services to multiple areas in rural Oklahoma.

As part of a Health Equity grant from the Oklahoma Department of Health, OSU Medicine also secured $400,000 to purchase two mobile clinic vans that will be used to deliver virtual care and outreach in rural Oklahoma.

77% of Oklahoma’s population live in a Health Professional Shortage Area, which underscores the need for additional access to clinical services.