New virtual medical centers in CT are like a 'clinic in a box' where patients get scanned, diagnosed

By Jayden Nguyen, Staff Writer
Nov 3, 2024

When a patient arrives at an OnMed CareStation location, the door will be open if the station is available. No appointments are necessary and anyone seeking medical care may walk in. Patients press "start" on a screen and one of Hartford HealthCare's certified nursing or medical assistants will explain the station's process in a video call.

Some of the technology used in the station includes fogged glass for patient privacy, high-definition cameras, a heat camera with thermal imaging to check a patient's temperature, a blood pressure cuff, a pulse oximeter and a stethoscope for a medical expert to listen to a patient's heart and lungs. The station is also self-cleaning, using spray, air filtration and UV lights to clean itself after each patient's visit.

The station can detect infections, respiratory illnesses, heartburn, allergies and headaches, according to Hartford HealthCare's website. Patients can also get an examination of their ears, eyes and throat and receive a diagnosis and treatment plan.

"You can think of it almost like a clinic in a box," Hartford HealthCare's Chief Integration Officer Debra Hayes said. "A typical visit includes everything that a patient would expect at a typical doctor's office visit." She added that the stations can address about 85% of "what you get at a typical primary care visit."

Connecticut is one of five states with OnMed CareStations that are currently live and available for patients to use, according to OnMed's map of its station sites on its website. There are two stations that are live in Connecticut, one at Stop & Shop in Killingly and one at The Village for Families and Children in Hartford.

The medical insurance policies for each location are different based off each "community's needs," Hayes said. For Hartford's OnMed CareStation, insurance is accepted but not required. In Killingly, insurance is required and the station accepts all major insurance.

Patients will receive a symptom assessment, diagnosis and a treatment plan at the end of their OnMed CareStation visits. For any necessary medications, patients can also receive a e-prescription from the station's medical experts. A typical OnMed CareStation visit is around 15 to 20 minutes, Hayes said.

The CareStation locations were also selected so that patients could easily get their prescriptions filled at Stop & Shop or The Village.

"Think of it like one step above sitting at your kitchen table and doing a virtual visit," Hayes said. "It really does enable the provider to make a more accurate diagnosis and treatment plan."

Hayes said that OnMed CareStations can help deliver immediate post-acute care services to patients that are two years or older in a "lower cost setting."

"We took a multifaceted approach to identifying where we were going to locate these CareStations," Hayes said. "Hartford HealthCare is always looking to expand access, but we also want to tailor it to the needs of the community."

Hayes added that Hartford HealthCare and OnMed are "still working" on their plans to open a third CareStation in Connecticut.

"We want to make sure we put it in a community that can truly benefit from additional access to affordable quality healthcare," she said.

Hayes said Hartford HealthCare and OnMed partnered on creating CareStations in Connecticut because they "share the same mission" of "ensuring everyone has access to the care that they need."

"We're always looking for innovative, alternative and affordable options for patients to access the care they need when they need it," Hayes said. "The partnership with OnMed really does allow us to do just that, to provide our patients and the members of the communities we serve with an alternative that meets the patients where they are so they can get the care they need."

Hayes said that patients with more urgent medical issues should visit Hartford HealthCare's urgent care locations or one of its emergency rooms. OnMed care providers can also provide referrals to patients who need added care, such as routine cancer screenings, immunizations or help with more complex injuries and illnesses, according to Hartford HealthCare's website.

The OnMed CareStation in Killingly is open Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 to 7 p.m. Hartford's OnMed Care Station is open Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visits are currently only conducted in English, according to Hartford HealthCare's website.

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