Essentia Health’s Use of Virtual Care During Pandemic Grows

In less than one month of use, Essentia Health has completed around 46,000 online visits.

According to the health group, Essentia’s first virtual visit was conducted on March 18th. Nearly 3,000 visits are occurring each day and at any given moment, with more than 100 visits happening simultaneously.

In the Brainerd Lakes Area, over 5,700 virtual visits have been conducted over the past month, allowing patients to continue care while honoring social distancing and reducing risk.

Patients can now schedule a virtual visit, which is a video appointment that occurs directly between a provider and a patient. The patient can do the visit from the comfort of their home and utilize their own technology such as a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Essentia Health is using virtual visits in areas you might not expect, such as orthopedics, heart & vascular, obstetrics, and physical therapy visits. Both new and existing patients are being seen via virtual visits for their appointments. Virtual visits can be scheduled by calling your local clinic.