The Record
CAPTIAL REGION, N.Y. — UCM Digital Health (UCM), a leading digital health provider, and MVP Health Care (MVP), a nationally recognized health plan, recently announced the launch of Treatment in Place.
This new initiative will provide MVP members with “access to the right care, at the right time, wherever they are, including at home, at work or in any other location.”
Through Treatment in Place, EMTs and paramedics in partner organizations will have access to UCM’s team including medical staff and care coordinators. The program is activated when an MVP member calls 911 and an EMS provider is dispatched to the member’s location for a non-life-threatening condition.
The EMTs or paramedics then work with a UCM emergency medicine-trained physician via telemedicine to quickly treat the patient.
“This program represents MVP and UCM’s steadfast commitment to making health care more accessible, convenient, and affordable for our customers while creating new opportunities for efficiencies and savings in the health care system,” said MVP president and CEO Chris Del Vecchio in a news release.
With a combination of hands-on and virtual care, the patient receives appropriate, high-quality, cost-effective care, without the need to go to the emergency room. In addition to the patient benefits, this program saves the EMS organization from having to transport the patient to the emergency room. For example, EMS providers can rapidly assess the patient’s vital signs, perform a physical exam, assess social determinants of health, or conduct a diagnostic test from the comfort of the patient’s home.
“As we contend with an increased need for health care services, Treatment in Place will directly decrease the volume of non-life-threatening emergencies at the ER and will provide increased access to care for the communities we serve,” Del Veccio said in the release. “We are proud to partner with UCM on this new and exciting program which will undoubtedly provide significant enhancement to health care services.”
For EMS organizations, the program allows them to utilize their resources appropriately. With more patients being treated in their location, they are now able to focus on true emergencies. UCM has established relationships with EMS organizations and 911 centers across the state of New York, which enable this service to be seamlessly delivered to MVP members across 18 counties, with plans to expand state-wide.
“We are thrilled to provide this service to the community,” said Scott Bowman, executive director at Valatie Rescue, in the release. “Through the use of UCM’s emergency physicians, we have kept 79% of patients safe at home, without transport to a hospital. Our medical providers are able to use their knowledge and skills, along with face-to-face interactions with physicians virtually, to provide the care that is truly best for our patients. This is just the latest step of many advances in the emergency medical services industry, and we are happy to be able to provide this to our patients.”
“As part of our broader mobile integrated health strategy, the Treatment in Place program is an important step in the right direction to provide patients with a combination of in-person and virtual care,” said Keith Algozzine, PA-C, founder and CEO of UCM Digital Health in the release. “It’s really the future of healthcare and we are proud to partner with MVP Health Care and many EMS organizations to provide patients with the right care, at the right time, in the right place, all while lowering cost and reducing strain on our healthcare system.”
UCM’s Treatment in Place program is currently available to MVP members in the following counties: Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, Washington, Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester, Herkimer, Oneida, Allegany, and Monroe.
___
(c)2023 The Record, Troy, N.Y.
Visit The Record, Troy, N.Y. at https://www.troyrecord.com/
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.