Video visits

Skagit Regional Health launches new telemedicine program

Skagit Regional Health providers and clinics are offering new ways to keep up with patient needs for care by launching a new telemedicine program. The addition of MyChart Video Visits mean appointments are available from the comfort and safety of a patient’s home.

MyChart Video Visits is a new service at Skagit Regional Health, launched to provide patients with options as the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the region. The service offers clinical visits with the expert healthcare providers patients know and trust.

“MyChart Video Visits are a form of telemedicine that improves access to healthcare and also provides an element of safety for patient distancing,” said Rheumatologist Kevin Welk, MD. “Video visits provide the convenience and comfort of having medical care within a person’s own home.”

With MyChart Video Visits, patients can meet with their primary care provider and many of Skagit Regional Health’s specialists over video chat, from nearly anywhere. Patients can use a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. They just need stable internet connectivity and a web camera that is enabled during the visit.

“It’s a great way to visit your doctor without leaving work,” said Jennifer Benson, MD, a Family Medicine provider in Mount Vernon. “You could schedule a visit on a lunch break or between meetings. It might be great for someone who doesn’t have transportation right now or if you’re home with kids and can’t get a babysitter.”

Many patients travel a great distance to meet with a specialist and may have to navigate ferry schedules or other challenges.

“We get patients who drive 20, 30, sometimes 40 miles to meet with a specialist,” said Electrophysiologist Ramy Hanna, MD, who practices at Skagit Regional Health Cardiology. “For those folks, this has really transformed their way of thinking about doctor visits. They can have basically all of the same benefits of coming into the clinic without ever leaving their living room or their home office.”

“For patients who are already established, I can provide almost the same, if not the same level of care as if they were in person,” added Orthopedic Surgeon Christopher Sheu, MD, FAAOS. “I’ve been able to do shoulder, hip and knee exams. Those types of visits, I think, are a little more efficient using the MyChart Video Visit platform.”

MyChart Video Visits are great for discussing ongoing medical problems or new symptoms and can be a convenient way to manage ongoing chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Providers can formulate a plan for patients during a MyChart Video Visit and schedule any necessary follow ups.

Making an appointment for primary care is now easier than ever with the introduction of direct scheduling in MyChart.

Patients who need to visit their primary care physician, including internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics – in person or via MyChart video visit - can use the MyChart app to schedule an appointment directly onto their provider’s calendar.

To schedule an appointment, simply log into the MyChart app or visit www.SkagitRegionalHealth.org/ MyChart. Click on the Appointments “It’s surprising how much you can manage or take care of over a video visit,” said Dr. Benson. “There is a lot we can do by just watching a patient and listening to them talk.” Patients can request a MyChart Video Visit by calling their provider’s office directly or calling the Patient Resource Center at 360-428-2500. Patients can also request a MyChart Video Visit directly from inside their MyChart patient portal account.

“As long as a patient is set up through MyChart, it’s extremely easy,” said Dr. Sheu. “It’s literally just clicking a button and everything pops up automatically.”

“It seems to work really well,” added Dr. Welk. “It’s an appointment, just like every other appointment and it seems to have, for a lot of patients, been a really positive experience.”

If you do not have a MyChart account, you can request one at www.

Need an appointment? Try Direct Scheduling in MyChart

SkagitRegionalHealth.org/MyChart. button, then Schedule an Appointment and follow the prompts to select the exact time you prefer, directly onto your provider’s calendar. No phone call needed.

The MyChart Patient Portal also allows patients to view their lab results, refill medications, message their provider and more – on their computer, smart phone or tablet. Patients can sign up online at www. SkagitRegionalHealth.org/MyChart or request an activation code at their next clinic visit.

Surgery Center open in Arlington

The Skagit Regional Health - Arlington Surgery Center provides a private, safe and comfortable environment for outpatient procedures.

General surgeons provide EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy), which is an endoscopic procedure to examine the esophagus, stomach and part of the small intestine, and colonoscopies, a procedure to examine the large intestine, at the surgery center.

The center is located at 875 Wesley Street, Suite 160, adjacent to Cascade Valley Hospital, in Arlington and is open Monday through Wednesday.

“We have a fantastic team and a great facility,” said Kelly Bradford, Regional Director of Surgical Services for Skagit Regional Health. “The facility is very private and it provides patients easy access to routine preventative healthcare.”

For a Direct Access appointment, call 360-618-7975. Learn more about Direct Access on page 6.

Direct Access: Streamlines screening endoscopy

Skagit Regional Health’s Endoscopy Department offers a Direct Access program allowing patients to register, schedule and receive a screening colonoscopy without a doctor’s referral.

Healthy adults over the age of 50 who have not had any colon-related symptoms (rectal bleeding, diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc.) or any other major health problems are eligible.

The Direct Access program began in 2010 at Skagit Valley Hospital and was recently expanded to the Arlington Surgery Center. Clinical Manager of Endoscopy Stacy Gonzales, RN, noted that her team sees an average of 50 patients each month who have used the selfreferral program.

Patients who have used Direct Access describe the process as “easy” and “simple to use,” and it means just one trip for an appointment. Patients begin the process with a simple phone call or email to the Endoscopy Department’s Direct Access team.

A nurse will contact the patient to review their health history, assist in the registration process and will coordinate an appointment time for the exam. This part of the process can take up to 30 minutes to complete on the phone. The colonoscopy appointment is typically scheduled to occur within two weeks.

Patients who do not qualify for Direct Access due to their health history or current symptoms will be connected with Skagit Regional Health’s Gastroenterology Department or Arlington General Surgery for a consult.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all men and women aged 50 and older talk with their doctor about getting screened for colorectal cancer. After age 50, colonoscopies are recommended every 10 years to detect precancerous polyps and earlystage colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. Regular screening colonoscopy is one of the most powerful means of prevention and early detection of colorectal cancer. Studies show that when colorectal cancer is caught early, it is easier to treat.

To schedule a colonoscopy through the Direct Access program, call 360-814-5739 in Mount Vernon or 360-618-7975 in Arlington.