St. Louis Children's Hospital and its Washington University Heart Center have integrated Locus Health's real-time remote monitoring platform into the discharge process for high-risk infant cardiac patients, the hospital announced Nov. 14.

Health systems are at various stages of developing telehealth and virtual healthcare delivery programs, but competitive and regulatory headwinds could require system leaders to accelerate program growth.

Department of Veterans Affairs is rolling out the use of private enclosure rooms, called pods, which veterans can use to conduct telehealth appointments, according to a Nov. 11 news release.

Here are 13 hospitals and health systems that implemented telehealth technology and services in October:

Most pediatric patients and their families are more or equally satisfied with allergy and asthma treatment delivered via telemedicine as opposed to in-person, according to a recent American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology study.

Paramus, N.J.-based Bergen New Bridge Medical Center unveiled a new telehealth service line aimed at diagnosing and treating emergency medical conditions, according to a Nov. 7 news release.

St. Martin Hospital, part of Lafayette (La.) General Health, is partnering with the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center to offer telemedicine services to inmates, according to local ABC affiliate KATC.

MDLive anticipates more patients with cold and flu symptoms will seek out care through the company's virtual visits for the 2019-20 flu season compared to previous years.

Teladoc Health is providing California residents who are displaced by the state's wildfires free access to telehealth visits through its virtual care network, according to the company's Nov. 4 news release.

The decision to deploy telemedicine services should not be merely an afterthought: They require comprehensive advance planning, a dedicated staff and plenty of clinician and executive champions to ensure widespread adoption.