Telehealth

Since its inception 97 years ago as the first multispecialty medical group in San Diego, Sharp Rees-Stealy has always been an innovative and forward-thinking organization. 

Mount Sinai Health System physicians formed a 24/7 telemedicine-based palliative care support line for COVID-19 patients at six of the New York City-based system's hospitals, according to a May 12 NEJM study.

The number of virtual visits on the Veterans Health Administration's telehealth platform has skyrocketed from about 2,000 per day to 20,000, resulting in user issues for both patients and providers, Texas Public Radio reports. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has ignited telemedicine adoption, progressing the technology much further along than some Mayo Clinic physicians and executives expected, according to WIZM News Talk. 

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed former Google CEO Eric Schmidt to lead a 15-member commission that will focus on the state's pandemic recovery efforts.

Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health will begin admitting up to 150 patients to its first virtual hospital on May 11, according to NBC affiliate KGET. 

The Federal Communications Commission approved its fifth wave of COVID-19 telehealth program applications, funneling $11.19 million to providers including Mount Sinai Hospital and Kennedy Krieger Children's Hospital.  

Bank of America granted $100,000 to UMass Memorial Health Care for its telemedicine program as the Worcester, Mass.-based health system navigates a longer than anticipated surge period of COVID-19 patients, according to Worcester Business Journal. 

The new coronavirus has helped speed healthcare trends such as telemedicine, which Humana CEO Bruce Broussard said will have a lasting impact on care delivery. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the U.S. healthcare system, igniting fundamental changes to telemedicine that are likely to remain once the pandemic ends, according to a recent viewpoint article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.