As virtual visits become increasingly popular for a wide range of primary care and specialty services, Wake Forest Baptist Health has expanded its virtual care options to include virtual around-the-clock care for unexpected injuries and illnesses, seven days a week, for adults and children of all ages.
Patients with a myWakeHealth account can use their computer or mobile device to receive an immediate assessment for a sudden illness or injury from emergency medicine specialists in Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center’s emergency department by navigating to the “Immediate Virtual Care” section in the myWakeHealth app. Those without a myWakeHealth account can call 844-WF-TelED.
Of course, for life-threatening emergencies, people should always call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
“Early in the pandemic, we began noticing that many of our patients were waiting several days to come to the emergency department for very serious conditions that should have been treated immediately,” said Alison Gardner, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Health. “Now, we are able to help people decide if their issue can be treated at home with the virtual visit or if they need to make an appointment with their primary care provider, see a specialist, head to an urgent care clinic or go immediately to an emergency department.”
Those who require emergency treatment can even receive advice on which location would be best, depending on their needs.
“This is not ‘instead of’ emergency care, but rather, ‘in front of’ emergency care, as we try to help our patients conveniently access the right care, in the right setting, at the right time,” Gardner said.
Immediate virtual care visits are billed for most people similar to an urgent care visit, or included in the emergency visit charge for those who need to be seen in a Wake Forest Baptist emergency department.
More information on care options can be found at wakehealth.edu/getcare.
Media contacts:
Joe McCloskey, jmcclosk@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-1273
Eryn Johnson, eryjohns@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-8228