OnMed Deploys First Telemedicine Station at Tampa Bay General Hospital

10:22:1

2019-10-31

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Earlier this month, Tampa General Hospital (TGH) became the first deployment site for a new telemedicine station developed by health technology company OnMed.

Available as part of the TGH staff health program, the OnMed Station connects patients with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists for real-time consultations via high definition audio and video. Available 24/7, doctors available through OnMed are board certified or board eligible in the state where the OnMed station is located.

When needed, the station can directly dispense common medications or allow the remote provider to issue a script that the user can have filled through their own pharmacy. Other features of the OnMed Station include:

Vitals capture of height weight, body mass index, blood pressure, respiration, and blood oxygen saturation with integrated medical devices
Audible and visual assessments with a bi-directional macro camera
Body temperature reading and infection diagnosis with thermal imaging
High-output ultraviolet surface and air sanitation between each station use
Secure data transmission to a user’s primary care physician

As a non-profit academic medical center, TGH is one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

The OnMed Station allows TGH employees to address common and acute ailments and begin recovery quicker with immediately accessible medications. According to TGH President and CEO John Couris, “The health and wellness of our team members are just as important to us as the patients we care for every day at our hospital. By utilizing the OnMed Station within our employee base, we can ensure that our staff is prioritizing their wellness with access to instant care if needed.” In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, John also expressed that TGH’s partnership with OnMed is complementary rather than competitive to the hospital’s other offerings like a telemedicine app. ”They offer different access points. Consumers have more options to decide how they want to see a doctor…”

Regarding plans to move forward, “Tampa General Hospital is developing a strategy to deploy multiple stations throughout the community. For example, we are looking to partner with OnMed to place this innovative health technology station in various public consumer-facing areas, such as local schools and airports,” says Adam Smith, Senior Vice President of Ambulatory Services for TGH.

Use of the OnMed Station is currently free for hospital staff. OnMed’s FAQs state that the cost of a visit is less than a walk-in clinic and comparable to a doctor’s office visit, depending on the financial model set by a station’s host location. OnMed’s CEO Austin White has previously quoted a range of $65 to $75 per visit, not including medication costs.