August 3rd, 2017 was a landmark occasion for both veterans and GlobalMed. President Trump and Dr. David J. Shulkin, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, held a press conference in the White House’s Roosevelt Room announcing new telemedicine services for veterans. The announcements were ground breaking for two reasons. The VA, an early adapter of telemedicine since the 1990s, is offering new transformational regulation and technologies to help veterans easily access healthcare. Additionally, our medical stations, the Transportable Exam Station (TES) and the ClinicalAccess Station (CAS), were front and center in a demo shown to President Trump.
One thing is clear: GlobalMed is the leader in the telemedicine market.
VA Telemedicine Enhancements
At the press conference, Dr. Shulkin announced regulation changes were being made to encourage telemedicine services. The initiative is called Anywhere to Anywhere, VA Healthcare. Dr. Shulkin announced collaborative efforts with the Office of American Innovation and the Department of Justice in changing regulations that allows providers to provide telehealth services to veterans anywhere in the country. This initiative is especially crucial in treating veterans with mental health and in suicide prevention.
As Dr. Shulkin explained to President Trump, the VA is removing regulations that have prevented expanded care for veterans. By removing geography as a barrier, the VA can speed up care delivery and honor our commitment to veterans.
Next, Dr. Shulkin announced two digital programs to be implemented across the VA:
- The first, called VA Video Connect, allows VA providers to use mobile devices to connect with veterans on their mobile devices or computers. Piloted with 300 VA providers in 67 VA hospitals, the program will now roll out nationally.
- The second program, called Veterans Appointment Request, is an app available through the VA app store. It allows veterans to schedule, change, or cancel appointments directly with VA providers. It’s available in all 18 VA regions, and already over 4,000 appointments have been booked.
Dr. Shulkin finished by saying, “We use technology in a way that is pretty incredible.”
President Donald Trump in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Telehealth Event on Thursday, August 3, 2017, in the Roosevelt Room in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
The Doctor’s Bag of the Future
Dr. Shulkin demonstrated our CAS with a TotalExam 3 camera, and a video teleconference through our eNcounter software platform. Next he showed President Trump a live teleconference with a VA clinic in Grant Pass, OR. A Coast Guard veteran was in the office, surrounded by medical staff. Dr. Shulkin also demonstrated dermatological consult with one of the medical staff members using our TotalExam 3 camera to capture a high-quality image of the veterans skin.
Dr. Shulkin explained what President Trump was seeing on the CAS monitor through our eNcounter software platform.
The next phase of the presentation focused on our TES, and highlighted its role not only in the VA’s telemedicine efforts, but in its current role White House Medical Unit and the President’s care.
Dr. Shulkin explained that President Trump might recognize the TES as it, travels with him on Air Force One.
Introducing President Trump’s physician, Dr. Ronnie Jackson, Dr. Shulkin emphasized that the TES would be the same equipment available to veterans saying, “We are now able to bring this doctor’s bag into the homes of veterans; our nurse practitioners, our technicians are able to use the same type of technology available to the President of the United States. Because our veterans deserve that type of technology.”
We Can Enhance YOUR Practice
Here at GlobalMed, we partner with leading medical groups, healthcare enterprises, and government agencies to create solutions that enable physicians to better manage their time and resources. Our solutions empower physicians to provide the healthcare patients deserve, when they need it. Whether you need a mobile medical station such as our Transportable Exam Station in a rugged case, or our newest small-footprint mobile medical cart, we have the station that fits your needs. Our connected devices provide the clearest images, highest sound quality, and enable you to collect the critical data you need to treat your patients.
Last but not least, our eNcounter software application is redefining the way healthcare providers streamline their clinical workflow and maintain efficiency. Remote patient monitoring with secure cloud storage and note recording capabilities makes it easy to expand to new areas in patient care. Resource management is easier than ever with eNcounter 4, which allows reallocation of available time slots, providers, and facilities so patients receive the timely care they deserve. Superbilling is a new feature in eNcounter 4, in which providers and medical billers can expedite the billing process as soon as a consultation is completed.
GlobalMed is dedicated to transforming healthcare globally. Let GlobalMed help you improve the way you deliver healthcare.