As respiratory illness season gets rolling, kids may bring home colds and other sickness with regularity. Many families are taking advantage of virtual options to see an SSM Health provider without leaving home. Kia Mills, an SSM Health primary care physician assistant says parents appreciate the convenience of Express Virtual Care.
“It saves time because you don’t have to disrupt your scheduled and drive to see a provider,” said Mills. “You can do it from home or even on your break at work and you don’t need to be a current SSM Health patient to use the service.”
Express Virtual Care offers two types of visits. You can choose an e-visit or a video visit and avoid taking the time to drive to a clinic and sitting in a waiting room.
“With e-visits, you log on, complete a questionnaire to let us know what your symptoms are, send photos if needed and receive a diagnosis in hours, or sometimes minutes,” Mills noted. “Then, prescriptions are routed to your pharmacy. People are really liking that this is easy, fast and inexpensive because this type of visit is only $39.”
The other type of Express Virtual Care visit is a video visit. If you prefer to talk to someone, this may be a better option.
“With a video visit, you log on, answer a few questions about symptoms and then get a text or email when a provider can see you,” explained Mills. “You talk to a provider via video and that type of visit is only $59. Like the e-visit, they can diagnose you and send a prescription to your pharmacy.”
Common conditions treated via virtual care include:
- Allergies
- Cold, cough, flu, fever
- Diaper rash
- Head lice
- Heartburn
- Minor aches, pains, infections
- Minor cuts, scrapes and burns
- Minor sprains and strains
- Sinus infections
- Skin conditions including insect stings and bites, rashes and minor bumps
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)
With virtual care, you can submit a request to see a provider at nearly any hour of the day, 6:00 am-11:00 pm. If the provider determines that you need to be seen in person, there is no charge for your virtual visit. To learn more about Express Virtual Care or to make an appointment, go to the SSM Health website.
Express Virtual Care is not intended for the treatment of chronic conditions, medication changes, or emergency care. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.
