fbpx
TeleCare
Careers
Pay My Bill
Learning Center
Stroke Survivors

Back to Previous

Telehealth’s Role in Alleviating Hospital Staffing Issues

By: | Tags: , , , , , , | September 27th, 2023

Telehealth has emerged as a game-changing solution to address the complex staffing challenges faced by the healthcare industry. The meteoric rise in nursing shortages, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, can be attributed to several factors, including retirement, burnout, and the emotional, physical, and economic burdens nurses face due to their direct patient care responsibilities. These challenges have necessitated innovative approaches to bridge the gap between patient needs and available medical professionals, for which telehealth presents a promising solution to address these issues and improve the overall healthcare system through a multifaceted approach.

Reducing Geographic Constraints for Physicians

Gone are the days when physicians could only access patients in their city or town. One of the primary advantages of telehealth is that it allows physicians to work beyond the limitations of a single geographic area. Instead of being confined to a particular hospital, physicians can provide care remotely, broadening patient access. This geographical flexibility also enables healthcare facilities to tap into a larger pool of medical professionals, reducing the strain caused by local shortages of physicians and nurses. This especially benefits underserved or rural areas with limited resources and access to additional care.

Enhancing Physician Well-being and Improving Work-Life Balance

Physicians often experience high stress and extended travel times, particularly when covering multiple facilities. The time to commute, added to the approximately 60-hour work weeks that physicians often endure, does not contribute to a healthy work-life balance and can lead to increased stress. In fact, only 65 percent of millennial physicians feel like they’ve achieved work-life balance. Telehealth eliminates the need for frequent travel, enabling physicians to provide consultations and medical support from the comfort of their own workspace. By working remotely, physicians can spend more time on actual patient care and dedicate more time to spend with their family and friends or take on new hobbies. Reduced stress and improved work-life balance can increase healthcare professionals’ job satisfaction and retention rates.

Cost Savings for Facilities

Implementing telehealth can yield significant cost savings for healthcare facilities. Since video consultations are generally less expensive than in-person consultations, hospitals save more using telehealth as a healthcare solution without setting up or traveling costs. With telehealth reducing the need for physical infrastructure and associated overhead costs, hospitals can reallocate these funds to address other pressing matters, such as training and retaining nursing staff, investing in professional development programs and advanced medical equipment, or expanding services to meet patient needs.

Start Your Process with TeleSpecialists

Addressing Emergency Situations

Emergencies happen frequently and randomly, which can be troublesome for understaffed hospitals that cannot provide immediate treatment when needed. These high-pressure situations add to the increasing workload for physicians and nurses; however, telehealth can play a critical role in emergencies. Having physicians available 24/7 for remote care and consultations can ensure timely interventions and reduce the risk of nurse burnout due to excessive workloads.

How TeleSpecialists Can Help

By enabling healthcare professionals to work remotely, reducing stress, improving patient access to care, and saving on costs, telehealth can alleviate the burdens faced by healthcare facilities and providers. Moreover, it allows for a more resilient and flexible healthcare system to better cope with surges in demand, such as those caused by pandemics or other emergencies.

As a leading provider of telemedicine services that is founded, owned, and led by physicians, we pride ourselves on offering a turnkey solution for on-call services for our hospital partners to help alleviate the stresses of everyday work life for physicians. Our 190+ physicians located nationwide are always available and present on screen for a neurologic or psychiatric emergency within a matter of minutes, ensuring that our partner hospitals always have reliable, quality, and timely service.

We’re also seeking physicians who are interested in a career in telehealth. Our board-certified specialty neurologists and psychiatrists work virtually alongside our hospital partners to ensure the highest quality patient care. Transitioning from an in-person model of care to telehealth can seem daunting, but it is a rewarding experience. Our physicians experience work-life balance, treat patients from the comfort of their own homes, and work on a shift schedule that allows them to step away from work physically and mentally when their day is done.

To learn more about our services or if you’re interested in joining our team, contact us online today or call 833-766-5321.

Nattasha Acevedo, MD

Dr. Acevedo received her medical degree from the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico and did her neurology residency at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. She went on to do a clinical neurophysiology fellowship at Emory School of Medicine in Atla nta, Georgia and then joined private practice in Fort Myers, Florida. She currently resides in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She likes running, paddle boarding and spending time with family.
dr-nattasha-acevedo-teleneurology
close-link

Bernadette Borte, MD

Dr. Borte received her medical degree from St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine in Grand Cayman. She completed her neurology residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa. Her areas of interest include inpatient neurology and acute stroke. When not working, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family. Dr. Borte joined the TeleSpecialist family in March of 2019.
dr-bernadette-borte-teleneurology
close-link

Mazen Almidani, MD

Dr. Almidani is board certified in pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics and board certified in epilepsy, as well as neurology with special  qualification in child neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.  Dr. Almidani is happily married with 4 children. His oldest son has autism and his daughter has complicated seizures; both were a drive for him to become a neurologist. Dr. Almidani enjoys soccer, running and spending time with his family. He is very involved with his sons’ therapy and helping with daily challenges. He is double board certified in Pediatric and Adult Neurology and Epilepsy. He sees children and adults. He also participates in charities for children in Syria who may be underprivileged and/or affected by the war. Dr. Almidani joined TeleSpecialists in August 2020.
close-link

Amanda Cheshire, MD

Dr. Cheshire received her medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Louisville, Kentucky. She completed her neurology residency at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. She did a fellowship in neurophysiology at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Cheshire is double board certified in neurology and clinical neurophysiology. She enjoys traveling, reading and music. She currently resides in Viera, Florida.  Dr. Cheshire joined TeleSpecialists in June 2019.
dr-amanda-cheshire-teleneurology
close-link

Jessica Floyd, MD

Dr. Floyd completed her neurology residency at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida followed by fellowship training in clinical neurophysiology with focus in EEG and epilepsy at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. She has particular interest in hospital neurology and patient education as well as the blossoming specialty of lifestyle medicine. She strives to take advantage of every encounter with patients and medical staff to empower them to do their own research into how daily thoughts, choices, and habits can add up to create greater and longer-lasting brain and neurologic health for ourselves and our loved ones. She lives in Florence, South Carolina with her awesome husband of 13 plus years and three beautiful children. She is an avid yogi, astrologer, and lover of food and all things neurology! Dr. Floyd joined the TeleSpecialist family in July 2017.
dr-jessica-floyd-teleneurology
close-link

Nancy Futrell, MD

Dr. Futrell received her medical degree from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. She also did her neurology residency at the University of Utah as well as a research fellowship in cerebral vascular disease at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. She currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has authored 2 books and 50 peer reviewed papers. 
dr-nancy-futrell-teleneurology
close-link

Rebecca Jimenez-Sanders, MD

Dr. Jimenez Sanders received her undergraduate degree from Emory University, and her medical degree from the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. She completed her neurology residency at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, where she also did a specialized headache medicine and facial pain fellowship. She currently resides in Tampa, Florida with her husband and her two daughters. She is also fluent in Spanish and Italian languages, and enjoys photography, baking, boating, and biking.
dr-rebecca-jiminez-sanders-teleneurology
close-link

Cory Lamar, MD

Dr. Lamar received his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. He completed his internship and residency at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Following residency, he completed a clinical fellowship in neurophysiology, with a concentration in epilepsy. He currently resides in Florida and enjoys outdoor activities.
close-link

Clifford Meyers, MD

Dr. Meyers received his medical degree from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and his MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. He completed his neurology residency at the University of Rochester, where he also did a neurophysiology fellowship. Dr. Meyers resides in Webster, New York with his wife and daughter. When not doing teleneurology, he enjoys playing sports with his wife and daughter.
dr-clifford-meyers-teleneurology
close-link

Tao Tong, MD

Dr. Tong received her medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida. She completed her neurology residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, where she also did a neuromuscular/EMG fellowship.  She currently resides in College Station, Texas. Dr. Tong is married with two boys. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and reading.
dr-tao-tong-teleneurology
close-link

Shubhangi Chumble, MD

Dr. Chumble attended BJ Medical School. She is a board certified neurologist with a subspeciality interest in sleep medicine. Dr. Chumble did her residency at Howard University in Washington DC and has practiced neurology since 2001 in private and corporate settings. She lives in Melbourne, Florida and loves the sunshine state. Her hobbies include yoga, meditation, cooking , traveling and meeting new people. She also loves to do stained glass, pottery and painting. She joined TeleSpecialists in June 2019.
close-link