The Future of Health Care is Here

ChristianaCare’s Center for Virtual Health

BY SARAH SCHENCK, M.D., FACP

CHRISTIANACARE IS COMMITTED to serving our community, and that includes finding ways to remove the barriers that keep people from taking an active role in their own health.

Through our Center for Virtual Health, we are making it possible for our neighbors to get their medical care when and where it is most convenient for them—whether at home using a computer or mobile device, in a Community Access Point such as a local library, or even in their neighborhood, like the Kingswood Community Center in Wilmington.

THE POWER OF A TEAM

Together, these resources do more than help us better connect to our patients. By providing care that is truly built around the person—rather than a building or provider—we offer radical convenience and an exceptional experience. This is care that’s there when you need it, and it’s designed to fit your needs and your lifestyle.

We know it’s easier to get—and stay—healthy with a team by your side. The Center for Virtual Health takes team-based care to a new level with physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other health experts who can meet with you directly and also coordinate your care behind the scenes.

Our community health workers help patients navigate problems unrelated to their medical care. Our Patient Digital Ambassadors serve as personal guides, navigating all aspects of the health care experience for patients and their families.

This comprehensive care team can be reached anytime via phone, video visits, and secure text messaging. We like to think of ourselves as “always on” health care.

Video visits are more than just seeing your doctor on a screen. This is a new way of providing care with the same offerings you’d expect in-person, like hearing and eye exams, blood pressure monitoring and more. We can do virtually about 95 percent of what’s typically done at an office visit.

So much of what we do happens outside of the medical appointment, and that’s where virtual care really offers the most potential, especially for communities that have historically lacked access to primary and specialty care.

COMMUNITY ACCESS POINTS: CARE RIGHT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Quite simply, this is more than telehealth. It’s providing care for our community members when, where and how they need it. For people without a computer or mobile device—or those who just need help with technology—our Community Access Points are private, local spaces with computers for virtual visits, as well as scheduled in-person appointments.

Some of our first Community Access Points can be found in our local libraries in southern Delaware, and you can expect more in the future. At the Coker Family Resource Center inside Kingswood Community Center, residents of Wilmington’s Riverside neighborhood get care that works on their schedule, whether through a virtual appointment or an in-person visit with one of our nurses.

The future of health care is here. Are you ready for a new experience? Learn more about personal, rapid, always-on care at the Center for Virtual Health. Call 302-428-2400 or visit http://www.christianacare.org/virtualhealth today.

Dr. Sarah Schenck is the medical director of Virtualist Medicine for ChristianaCare’s Center for Virtual Health.