Connected Care clinics, which use advanced audio, video and medical technologies to link patients with Centura Health's network of physicians, located hundreds of miles away, have started providing care at Buena Vista Family Practice in Buena Vista, High Plains Community Health Center in Lamar, St. Vincent General Hospital in Leadville and Rio Grande Hospital in Del Norte.

Patients at these four rural facilities will connect with physicians based in Denver, Littleton and Pueblo for routine and specialty care services, creating an experience that feels as real as an in-person consultation.

"The launch of Connected Care helps eliminate distance as an obstacle to accessing needed healthcare in rural parts of Colorado," said Beth Soberg, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of Colorado. "These four sites, and the ones to follow, will build upon our state's current healthcare infrastructure and provide people in these locations with a more convenient way to receive quality care."

Connected Care is open to anyone, and many insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, offer coverage for the telehealth services provided through the program. Medicaid and Medicare health plans also cover some telehealth services, including follow-up care after a hospital stay or ongoing consultations after a cardiac procedure.

Patients can schedule telehealth appointments by phone or in person at the four rural locations, enabling them to connect remotely with Centura Health medical specialists at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver; Littleton Adventist Hospital in Littleton; and St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center in Pueblo.

Like the rural sites, the Centura Health sites have also been equipped with the Connected Care audio and video technology, including remote monitoring equipment such as digital stethoscopes and dermascopes.

4,800 patient visits expected 

As many as 4,800 patient visits are expected to be made each year in Colorado via the Connected Care clinics, which are staffed by an in-person healthcare professional such as a nurse or medical attendant. The clinics will allow patients remote access to physicians specializing in several areas of care, including ear/nose/throat (ENT), gastroenterology, cardiology, critical care/pulmonology, neurosurgery, and pre- and post-surgery consultations.

"The Connected Care program is an example of how the public and private sectors can effectively work together in Colorado to improve the health and well-being of residents statewide," said Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter. "This impressive collaboration will help solve critical healthcare challenges and expand access to healthcare services in parts of rural Colorado."

Along with Centura Health, UnitedHealthcare also worked with Colorado's nonprofit State Office of Rural Health and the Colorado Community Health Network to select the four Connected Care sites. The services provided are among the first available via the Colorado Telehealth Network, a statewide fiber optic network that will eventually connect more than 400 hospitals, clinics and other health care providers in Colorado.

Patient safety is the goal 

"The goal of the Colorado Telehealth Network is to improve patient safety, increase access to care, reduce health care costs and allow providers to focus on the needs of the patient," said Steven J. Summer, CEO and president of the Colorado Hospital Association. "UnitedHealthcare's Connected Care program is a great example of the new possibilities that the CTN is helping to enable."

The Colorado program is a key step in UnitedHealthcare's efforts to build a national telehealth network, with plans to establish additional sites in Colorado at federally qualified community health centers, critical access hospitals, rural health clinics and other Centura Health facilities. Connected Care will have several other programs launch this year, including in New Mexico and at on-site workplace clinics with employers.

"This program helps bring critical health care support to more places in Colorado, including locations where access to specialty care is often limited," said Gary Campbell, president and CEO of Centura Health. "With the advanced medical technology that the Connected Care program offers, we can expand our network of care to communities and families in rural areas of Colorado that desperately need quality and affordable healthcare services."