Other Health Needs Continue Even During a Pandemic: Connect with Your Cooper Doctor Through a Telemedicine Visit

Doug Wilson speaks with Cooper physician Dr. Eric Freeland during a recent telemedicine session.

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As everyone learns to cope with COVID-19, it seems like many things are on hold right now. One thing that shouldn’t be put on hold is your health. Even with stay-at-home orders in place, patients can still connect with their Cooper care providers from the comfort of their living room with a telemedicine visit. The doctors and advanced practice providers at Cooper and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, South Jersey’s leading academic health system, are using telemedicine visits as a way to keep their patients safe and reduce their risk of exposure to the virus, while continuing to provide care and keep appointment schedules.

Telemedicine allows health care professionals to evaluate, diagnose and, in some cases, treat patients at a distance by phone or video. While it has been an increasingly important part of modern health care delivery, now, more than ever, telemedicine is an invaluable tool for caring for patients who may be at a high risk of contracting COVID-19.

“Currently, all ambulatory providers have the ability to care for Cooper patients through audio and video visits,” said Joseph M. Montella, MD, Chief Medical Officer. “This innovation allows us to care for patients’ routine health care needs at a time when face-to-face encounters present certain risks. For patients who have regular primary care or specialty care appointments scheduled during the COVID-19 pandemic, a transition to a telemedicine visit is a safe, practical option.”

Generosa Grana, MD, Director of MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, explains how MD Anderson at Cooper physicians and advanced practice nurses are incorporating telemedicine into their practice.

“It has been a wonderful way to stay connected with our cancer patients, especially during this time,” said Dr. Grana. “It’s relatively easy to implement and our patients seem happy to be able to stay on track with their appointments, and avoid any unnecessary exposure to COVID-19 using this tool.”

Cooper has been successfully using telemedicine for more than three years, starting with a telestroke program in 2017, which provided other hospitals with video consultation services with Cooper’s neurological experts.

“Patients have been very receptive of this technology in the acute setting because it gave them immediate access to top specialists in the region,” said Bethann Mercanti, MMSc, PA-C, Director of Clinical Operations, Cooper Neurological Institute. “We have the infrastructure in place and we were able to quickly expand it to other departments.”

If you are a current Cooper patient, you can ask your care team if a telemedicine visit is right for you. If you do not have a regular primary care provider or need specialty care, call 1.800.8.COOPER (1.800.826.6737) to schedule an audio or video telemedicine visit. If an in person visit is medically necessary, you will be able to schedule one.

Otras Necesidades de Salud Continúan Incluso Durante una Pandemia: Conéctese con su Médico de Cooper a Través de una Visita de Telemedicina

A medida que todos aprenden a lidiar con COVID-19, parece que muchas cosas están en espera en este momento. Una cosa que no se debe poner en espera es su salud. Incluso con las órdenes de quedarse en casa, los pacientes pueden conectarse con sus proveedores de atención de Cooper desde la comodidad de su sala de estar con una visita de telemedicina. Los médicos y proveedores de práctica avanzada en Cooper y el MD Anderson Cáncer Center en Cooper, el principal sistema académico de salud del sur de Nueva Jersey, utilizan las visitas de telemedicina como una forma de mantener a sus pacientes seguros y reducir su riesgo de exposición al virus, mientras continúan brindando atención y mantener horarios de citas.

La telemedicina permite a los profesionales de la salud evaluar, diagnosticar y, en algunos casos, tratar a los pacientes a distancia por teléfono o video. Si bien ha sido una parte cada vez más importante de la prestación de atención médica moderna, ahora, más que nunca, la telemedicina es una herramienta invaluable para atender a pacientes que pueden tener un alto riesgo de contraer COVID-19.

“Actualmente, todos los proveedores ambulatorios tienen la capacidad de atender a los pacientes de Cooper a través de visitas de audio y video”, dijo Joseph M. Montella, MD, director médico. “Esta innovación nos permite atender las necesidades de atención médica de rutina de los pacientes en un momento en que los encuentros cara a cara presentan ciertos riesgos. Para los pacientes que tienen citas regulares de atención primaria o atención especializada programadas durante la pandemia de COVID-19, una transición a una visita de telemedicina es una opción segura y práctica”.

Generosa Grana, MD, Directora del Centro de Cáncer MD Anderson de Cooper, explica cómo los médicos y enfermeras de práctica avanzada del MD Anderson de Cooper están incorporando la telemedicina en su práctica.

“Ha sido una forma maravillosa de estar conectado con nuestros pacientes con cáncer, especialmente durante este tiempo”, dijo el Dr. Grana. “Es relativamente fácil de implementar y nuestros pacientes parecen contentos de poder mantenerse al día con sus citas y evitar cualquier exposición innecesaria al COVID-19 utilizando esta herramienta”.

Cooper ha estado utilizando con éxito la telemedicina durante más de tres años, comenzando con un programa de telestroke en 2017, que proporcionó a otros hospitales servicios de consulta por video con los expertos en neurología de Cooper.

“Los pacientes han sido muy receptivos a esta tecnología en el contexto agudo porque les dio acceso inmediato a los mejores especialistas de la región”, dijo Bethann Mercanti, MMSc, PA-C, Director de Operaciones Clínicas, Cooper Neurological Institute. “Tenemos la infraestructura en su lugar y pudimos expandirla rápidamente a otros departamentos”.

Si usted es un paciente actual de Cooper, puede preguntarle a su equipo de atención si una visita de telemedicina es adecuada para usted. Si no tiene un proveedor de atención primaria regular o necesita atención especializada, llame al 1.800.8.COOPER (1.800.826.6737) para programar una visita de telemedicina en audio o video. Si una visita en persona es médicamente necesaria, podrá programar una.

19 Comments

  1. Ron Erfer

    I was supposed to receive a call or email on how to use Webex. Never received it. Dr BHat is my doctor. I need the url. I have her id number 478344967.

    • Cooper University Health Care

      Dear Mr. Erfer, could you please email us at socialmedia@cooperhealth.edu with your date of birth, phone number, and date the appointment is supposed to take place so that I can have someone reach out to you? Or you can call our Patient Access Center directly at 800-826-6737 and they can help you. Thank you.

  2. Ron Leone

    I think this would be more helpful, if you started out with call you doctor to set up an appointment. That is, if that’s what i am supposed to do. I hate to read long documents that are not very clear. What do I do if I want to try this?

    • Cooper University Health Care

      Hi Mr. Leone, to request a telehealth visit, please call our Patient Access Center at 800-826-6737 and they can help you. Thank you.

  3. Maria Arredondo

    Myself and daughter have autoimmune diseases and have not seen nor taken any meds since October. Is there a way we can see Dr Edi rheumatologist

    • Cooper University Health Care

      Dear Ms. Arrendondo, please call our Patient Access Center at 1-800-826-6737 to make an appointment with Dr. Eid.

  4. Elizabeth smith

    My doctor is dr hala Eid. I would like to ask her if I should skip my injection of stelara due to the corona virus and the fact that the medication suppresses my immune system. Ty

    • Cooper University Health Care

      Dear Ms. Smith, you can call our Patient Access Center at 1-800-826-6737 to make an appointment to speak with Dr. Eid.

    • Cooper University Health Care

      Dear Ms. Paul, you don’t need anything special installed on your computer. The appointments take place either over the phone or via teleconference through the same browser you use to access the internet.

    • Cooper University Health Care

      Sear Ms. Sarrichio, please call our Patient Access Center at 1-800-826-6737, and they can let you know when your appointment is.

    • Cooper University Health Care

      Hello, Ms. Mayer, our Patient Access Center can help you contact Dr. Atkinson. You can give them a call at 1-800-826-6737. Or, if you use MyCooper, you can log in there and end him a direct message. Thank you.

  5. Linda Brogley

    Hi…
    I don’t think I need to really see Dr prettelt, but I do need 2 scripts refilled. I did call the office but no one got back to me yet. I realized everyone is busy so maybe it will just take a little bit more time.Thanks

    • Cooper University Health Care

      Dear Ms. Brogley,

      Please call Cooper’s Patient Access Center at 1-800-826-6737. They may be able to help you.

      Thank you.

    • Cooper University Health Care

      Dear Mr. Linder,

      Our Patient Access Center can help you if you call them at 1-800-826-6737.

      Thank you.

  6. Bobbie lynn pierce

    This is truly an amazing site your info and response are incredible I am looking for a new pcp that cares

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