Grundy County Memorial Hospital | Live Well | Spring 2020

When the coronavirus disease emerged as a new health threat, the necessity to consult your doctor for your new or existing health conditions did not suddenly disappear. But physician offices were quick to adapt to telemedicine when it was healthier for their patients to stay at home rather than visit the office for care dur- ing the pandemic. Telemedicine (sometimes referred to as telehealth or virtual care) uses comput- ers, phones and mobile devices to deliver health care remotely. With this techy treatment style, you may find yourself at home video chatting, emailing or texting your health care provider. Depending on your medical condition, devices you use at home may even send real-time data to your provider about your heart, blood pressure or blood glucose levels. Safe and convenient A virtual visit may not work for every health care situation, but it has proved useful for a wide variety of reasons during the COVID-19 outbreak. ●   ● Senior citizens who wish to stay close to home may find video chatting with their doctors a good solution for getting care. ●   ● People with chronic heart disease or diabetes may send their blood sugar and blood pressure readings, via a computer or phone, to a nurse for ongoing monitoring. “Expect the use of virtual visits to increase,” notes Lynn Blythe, Grundy County Memorial Hospital Director of Revenue Cycle. “As health insurance companies and Medicare have removed some of the barriers for medical providers to offer this convenient option for patients, it’s likely that the option will be more widely avail- able.” She encourages those who are interested in the virtual visit, or telehealth, option to contact their health insurance company first for guidance on how the visit may be covered. Visiting Specialists Audiology Seema Arab Wilson, AuD Cardiology and Echocardiogram Kalyana Sundaram, MD Kari Haislet, DNP Abbie Schrader, ARNP Dermatology Angela Buttjer, PA-C Ear, Nose & Throat/Skin Cancer David J. Congdon, MD, MPH, FACS Tricia Thompson, ARNP Gastroenterology/Hepatology Srinivas Kalala, MD Tracy Elliott, ARNP General Surgery/Colonoscopy Paul Burgett, MD, FACS Nephrology T. Michel Daoud, MD Vinay K. Kantamneni, MD Oncology Wael Ghalayini, MD Ophthalmology/Cataract Surgery Benjamin Mason, MD Orthopedics Robert B. Bartelt, MD Podiatry Stephen Solomon, DPM Mental Health Counseling Debra Estes, LISW Kelsie Swisher, ARNP GCMH Services Anti-Coagulation Ariel Loring, PharmD GCMH Orthopedics Douglas Cooper, MD Pain Management W. Keith Barnhill, PhD, ARNP, CRNA, DAAPM Sleep Disorders GCMH Sleep Service Wound Healing Mandy Vervaecke, ARNP CALL 319-824-5081 or 888-824-5081 for scheduling information. Specialty Clinic V I RT UA L V I S I T S : The doctor will see you now Classes and events Please look for information to be shared via the hospital website, grundycountyhospital.org . We look forward to resuming our normal schedule of outreach to support your efforts to Live Well! Many Outpatient services and all health education classes and events were suspended in early spring. The hospital acted to reduce services until the transmission of COVID-19 is no longer a threat to our patients, visitors and communities. As of the time this Live Well edition went to print, the classes and events had not been rescheduled. >> 4