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Telemedicine Proving to be a Valuable Asset During the COVID-19 Crisis

By: | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | April 6th, 2020

Long before the Coronavirus outbreak, health care providers saw promise in telemedicine. In fact, according to the National Academy of Sciences, in 1925, a cover of Science and Invention magazine portrays a doctor diagnosing a patient via radio and suggests visually that a device would eventually allow for video examination of a patient remotely. Today, however, telemedicine is not just a vision, it is playing a role in helping to adjust the doctor-patient interaction during this unforeseen health crisis known as COVID-19. By necessity, telemedicine is now being recognized as a valuable tool for medical facilities to assist with the diagnosis and treatment of the influx of patients during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Congress has recently fast-tracked On March 27, 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) (H.R.748), Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) (H.R.748), the third package in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, which according to the American Telehealth Association (ATA), provides some crucial steps towards the expanded adoption of telemedine. The ATA stated, “The CARES Act signals strong support for telehealth and recognition from Congress that expanding access to virtual care is critical to defeating COVID-19.”

Also in the wake of COVID-19, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the expansion of telehealth with the 1135 waiver, which would allow for Medicare to pay for office, hospital, and other visits furnished via telehealth across the country. This is another milestone for the telemedicine industry and those who have pushed so hard to bring the technology to the forefront of healthcare. As it proves its worth during this health crisis, telemedicine will become the norm in hospitals and health systems, with the capability of saving these facilities billions in costs and enabling a better quality of life for physicians.

In response to the mounting pressure put on the health care system during the crisis of COVID-19, TeleSpecialists has streamlined its rapid implementation process to allow facilities to quickly offer  TeleNeurology in a time when their physician resources may be depleted.

The benefits of telemedicine, and more specifically, TeleStroke, a specialty of TeleSpecialists, are vast but include the following:

  • Preserving hospital resources, i.e. masks and other supplies
  • Alleviating physician burnout
  • No exposure between the physician and patient, eliminating viral transmission risk
  • TeleStroke fills neurology gaps to allow physicians to concentrate on other specialties, i.e. infectious disease
  • 24/7 coverage means that there will always be a TeleNeurologist available for emergent cases

All medical facilities are encouraged to reach out to TeleSpecialists if they have a need to fill neurology gaps. These services would include TeleStroke and , as well as EEG interpretation.

During this time of crisis, it is essential to partner up with a patient-focused company to ensure all patients are treated with the highest quality medical care as quickly as possible.

For more information on how TeleSpecialists can help your medical facility with quality neurology support quickly during this time, visit our COVID-19 Assistance page or call us at 866-785-7769.

If you are a board-certified neurologist or other specialty physician, please contact us to explore a career in telemedicine.

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. 
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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