This month I want to share the importance of scheduling for Telehealth services. VirtualMed Staff relies heavily on Belinda Gordon, our Physician Engagement Specialist, to ensure that each of our clients receives monthly schedules that provide complete coverage for specific programs. These include a large number of complicated programs that include Telepsychiatry and Teleneurology. In both cases, the programs include sub-services such as Emergent coverage in the ED, Inpatient, and Outpatient. Often, we do all three simultaneously for our clients.
While this may seem easy enough at a glance, the work needed to ensure there are no gaps in coverage is very nearly never ending. Belinda works long days to ensure each of these programs has physician coverage and there are no gaps. In 2020, Belinda saw that each program the company supported had no gaps in patient coverage – for the entire year. Whether vacation, sickness, holidays, or other events caused a physician to need a backup to cover for his or her shifts, Belinda ensured that 100% of our clients had the coverage they needed and expected.
The reason? We are completely committed to patient care, and our vision remains simple – to see more patients. With superstars like Belinda, we are able to manage Telehealth programs that extend for years, and to do so without gaps in patient coverage. This is one of the single most difficult elements of a live Telehealth program, and when it’s done well, it appears to be easy to do. But it’s incredibly difficult and complex, even as Belinda makes it look unbelievably easy.
For February, here’s a shout out to our own Belinda Gordon, who does not stop getting commitments from backup physicians when there is a scheduling wrinkle, which happens all the time. Belinda, you are outstanding!
I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter.
Jack Williams