St. Luke’s Offers Online “Care Anywhere” Service Statewide

Bethlehem, PA (12/15/2015) – St. Luke’s is the first hospital system in the region to offer a statewide 24-hour telemedicine service.

St. Luke’s University Health Network will soon offer a new convenient way for patients to be treated by a doctor anywhere in Pennsylvania at any time. St. Luke’s Care Anywhere will allow patients to be seen for health issues through their smartphone or computer. The program will be launched in early January 2016.

St. Luke’s Care Anywhere allows a patient to communicate quickly with a clinician from a smartphone, tablet or computer. During a live, private, on-screen video visit, a doctor evaluates, diagnoses, and treats the patient’s condition and also prescribes medication if needed.

“The convenience of this service is incredible. Smartphones and mobile devices are used for almost everything and now they can be used for a doctor’s visit as well” said Ray Midlam, VP, Planning and Business Development, St. Luke’s University Health Network. “Patients may be seen from work or home at any hour without having to drive to the doctor’s office. The service is great for when your doctor’s office is closed or when you just don’t feel like leaving the house,” he said.

“Rather than waiting to see a doctor the next day, or taking time off from work, this service is available quickly, conveniently and inexpensively,” Midlam continued. A $49 fee is paid by credit card at the time of service, explained Midlam.

St. Luke’s Care Anywhere is available in Pennsylvania for patients 18 years or older and patients 12 years or older when accompanied by a guardian. It is designed to provide easy access to St. Luke’s services when patients need it, according to Robert Dolansky,  DO, MBA, Network Director, Urgent Care, St. Luke’s University Health Network.

To use the service, patients should first visit the website or download the app to create an account. Patients then simply login when they need to see a doctor. The secure video visit is similar to any other doctor’s visit. Based on a conversation and visual assessment, a medical diagnosis may be made and the patient treated accordingly, explained Dr. Dolansky.

Some common complaints that can be treated include: sore throats, viruses, flu symptoms, fever, ear aches, coughs, headaches, upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and skin rashes.

The St. Luke’s Care Anywhere app may be downloaded from the iTunes App Store, Google Play or from the St. Luke’s University Health Network website as of January 2016.

Health care consumers expect convenient and easily accessible services, and St. Luke’s Care Anywhere will help meet that demand, said Dr. Dolansky. St. Luke’s Care Anywhere is among many services St. Luke’s offers or will be offering in the near future to provide more convenient access to health care.

“Many of the faces patients see during visits with the St. Luke’s Care Anywhere medical professionals will be familiar to patients who use St. Luke’s Care Now walk-in sites,” said Dr. Dolansky. St. Luke’s has partnered with American Well, a telehealth software and services company. American Well is providing the technology platform and additional board-certified healthcare professionals as part of the 24-hour service.

About St. Luke’s University Health Network
St. Luke’s University Health Network is a nonprofit, regional, fully integrated, nationally recognized network providing services at six hospitals and more than 215  sites, primarily in Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania and also in Warren County, New Jersey.

About American Well
American Well is transforming the way healthcare is delivered through telehealth. We make online doctor visits accessible to everyone for one-off care issues like colds or infections, and chronic condition management, such as diabetes or depression. We deliver healthcare into people’s homes and workplaces through our work with top health plans, health systems and employers, as well as our telehealth app, Amwell. A patient using Amwell can be connected to a board-certified doctor of their choosing in just minutes for a visit carried out over smartphone, tablet, kiosk, phone, or desktop.

American Well and Amwell are registered trademarks of American Well Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. For more information on our services, visit www.americanwell.com. To download Amwell and have a doctor visit now, visit www.amwell.com.