Allegheny Health Network Encourages Patients to Utilize Telehealth Services as COVID-19 Surge Continues

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As surging COVID-19 cases fill hospitals across the region and crowded emergency departments prompt long waits for care, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) is once again encouraging patients seeking care for common, non-urgent health issues to utilize its robust telehealth services when appropriate and possible.

Virtual visits provide patients with timely, convenient access to AHN clinicians from the safety and comfort of their homes. Throughout the pandemic, utilization of video visits and other telehealth services has significantly increased at AHN and across the industry. At peak times, AHN clinicians have conducted thousands of telehealth appointments per day, says Amy Crawford-Faucher, MD, vice chair of AHN's Primary Care Institute.

"This latest surge in COVID-19 cases, due to the highly transmissible Delta and Omicron variants, has led to significant increases in hospitalizations and has compounded the already challenging health care staffing shortages nationwide. Fortunately, our long experience with the pandemic has demonstrated how effective telehealth can be in helping us meet the needs of patients at a high level in these circumstances," said Dr. Crawford-Faucher. "Obtaining your care virtually when appropriate also helps us to ensure the safest clinical environments possible for patients and caregivers at our hospitals and outpatient facilities."

Patients can schedule a virtual urgent care appointment using their MyChart account when experiencing any of the following – coronavirus concerns, flu/cold symptoms, coughs, aches/pains or sinus/allergy problems. Appointments can be made with a patient's regular AHN primary care provider or, for 24/7 virtual urgent care, with a nurse practitioner. Pediatric virtual urgent care visits are also available.

To help answer patient questions about their symptoms and direct them to the best site of care, AHN's dedicated nurse on call line is available 24/7 at (412-NURSE-4-U). In life-threatening situations, patients should always call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. In non-life-threatening situations in which an individual is unsure if they should go to an emergency department, patients should call the nurse line to be directed to the most appropriate care site.

To further aid patients in finding the optimal site of care, particularly while volumes at emergency departments are high, AHN issued guidance last month for individuals requiring immediate medical attention.

The benefits of telehealth transcend the pandemic, offering patients who live in remote areas or who have mobility or transportation limitations the ability to engage with health care providers more efficiently and effectively.

On Dec. 31, 2021, the Affordable Connectivity Program was implemented to improve access to telehealth services by lowering the costs of broadband service for eligible households. To check your eligibility and to apply, visit https://acpbenefit.org/.

To avoid future surges of the pandemic, Dr. Crawford-Faucher also stressed the need for more people to be vaccinated.

"Of all the tools we have available to combat the pandemic, the most effective is vaccination against COVID-19. We urge those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so and help bring about an end to this public health crisis."

To view current vaccination opportunities at AHN, visit http://www.ahn.org/coronavirus.

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About the Allegheny Health Network

Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org) is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of 14 hospitals, a research institute; ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions; an employed physician organization, home and community-based health services and a group purchasing organization. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women's health, diabetes and more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than 2,600 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Media Contact

Candace Herrington, Allegheny Health Network, 412-951-8193, [email protected]

SOURCE Allegheny Health Network