Telehealth, phone calls are among the ways Marshfield Clinic patients can access health care in Merrill during pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has created hardships for many people, including access to health care. Marshfield Clinic Health System is reducing those barriers by using technology both old and new.
During the pandemic, Marshfield Clinic Merrill Center, 1205 O’ Day St., provides in-person primary care Mondays and Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Patients may be screened at the entrance for COVID-19 symptoms and given a cloth mask.
Telehealth appointments are available Monday through Friday allowing patients to be seen by their provider as if they and their provider were in the same room.
“This is a great way, especially for our older patients, to connect with their provider using a laptop, a mobile device or by phone,” said family medicine physician Dr. Paul Thompson. “We know that with social distancing that this is a convenient way to receive care in the safety of the patient’s home.”
Telehealth is a great for patients who are monitoring their own blood pressure, need to discuss potential medication adjustments, or skin conditions and other follow-up visits. Not all appointments can be delivered using the telehealth approach. Patients can request an appointment by calling 715-539-0123 and will be offered a telehealth appointment if their condition is such that it can be cared for through a telehealth appointment. The patient’s home technology also must support a visit using telehealth technology.
Patients scheduled for a telehealth visit will be emailed a link to connect with the provider about 15 minutes before the visit. Once connected, the patient and provider can see and hear each other during the visit.
For patients without video computer or cell phone access, some visits can be accomplished over the phone by voice only with your provider, called Telehealth by Phone, and may be able to take the place of your office visit.
Coverage for telehealth appointments-
Medicare, Medicaid and most commercial carriers are providing reimbursement for telehealth-at-home and phone care visits. Patients are always encouraged to check with their insurance company if they are unsure of their own benefits.
If patients of Marshfield Clinic Health System need to talk to their provider or schedule an appointment with their provider or health care team, they should call their doctor’s office.
Care is literally a phone call away-
You don’t need a fancy phone to get care at Merrill Center; that landline phone still works just fine. Merrill Center is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to address our patients’ needs for non-appointment services and questions by calling 715-539-0101.
“A patient can just pick up the phone and call us in Merrill and we can help them with medication refills, discussing test results or medication side effects, and answering questions about whether another appointment is needed,” said family medicine physician Dr. Kathryn Krohn-Gill. “We know patients have questions they need answered. That’s why we’re pleased to be able to provide this personal care during the pandemic.”
Also, lab and radiology Services at Merrill Center are available for in-person visits Mondays and Thursdays, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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