Page 36 - BusinessWest August 3, 2020

One of the evolutions in Cameron’s organiza- tion may be a move toward expanding the use of Doximity, perhaps in conjunction with the Medi- tech web portal, where parients can schedule a telehealth visit on the latter, and the link is sent via Doximity.
“It’s not like the technology isn’t there, and it’s
“We evolved from doing it very quickly and responding to the pandemic — how do we keep our patients safe and get them the best care possible? — to asking, what does this look like going forward?”
going to continue to evolve and move forward,” he went on. “But what’s made it a reality is now, you can get paid for it, and there’s some funding out there to beef up the infrastructure.”
Peace of Mind
While primary care and certain specialties are making strong use of telemedicine, behavioral health has been a particularly fertile field. The Mental Health Assoc. (MHA) began using its own platform, called TeleWell, through its BestLife Emotional Health and Wellness Center in January, just before COVID-19 arrived in the U.S.
Through TeleWell, clients could connect
remotely with a clinician, recovery coach, or prescriber for varying times and frequencies.
“The response from the com- munity has been positive, with many individuals requesting the ability to continue receiving services utilizing TeleWell in the future,” said Sara Kendall, vice president of Clinical Operations.
“The flexibility of MHA’s TeleWell best matches the ability of individuals to receive services, while also in a location of their choice, in which they are comfort- able,” she added, noting that cli- ent feedback suggests a growing role for this model in the future. “The adaptive world of today has been a benefit to the critical to needs of tomorrow.”
MHA recently announced
$13,333 in grant funding provided
by Baystate Noble Hospital to
advance Well Aware, an informa-
tion and education initiative that aims to raise awareness of the availability of telehealth services to help people dealing with the challenges of opi- oid and substance use disorders in the Greater Westfield area.
“The ability to connect via TeleWell can be of critical importance for people who cannot par- take of services in person due to the COVID-19 crisis, a lack of transportation, or concern about the stigma often associated with seeking help,” said Kimberley Lee, vice president of Resource Development and Branding for MHA, adding that
Carl Cameron says the technology needed for effective telehealth exists, and so does patient demand.
TeleWell can be an important bridge to enable people to receive the care they need from the safety of their own homes, and that, for people with opioid and substance-use disorders who either wish to enter into recovery or are already in recovery, being able to keep regular appointments with a counselor is critical for them to achieve success in staying sober.
“This is especially important during the unprecedented
COVID-19 pan- demic, which has
Telehealth
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36 AUGUST 3, 2020
TECHNOLOGY
BusinessWest
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