UF Health expands pediatric care by offering telehealth in Tallahassee
Pediatric patients in Tallahassee can now be seen by University of Florida physicians without making the long drive south to Gainesville.
UF Health Pediatric Specialties – Tallahassee is introducing a telehealth model where physicians in Gainesville will see and diagnose patients through live video streaming using advanced technology.
“We have been providing care to the children of the Tallahassee region for more than two decades. We are excited to build upon our long-standing commitment to children in the area by bringing telemedicine capabilities to the region,” said Scott Rivkees, M.D., a professor and chair of the UF department of pediatrics. “This new program aims to improve access for our patients and minimize patient travel.”
UF Health Pediatric Specialties – Tallahassee is located within the Children’s Medical Services, or CMS, building, at 2390 Phillips Road. It will provide all pediatric specialty services now offered at UF Health in Gainesville, including cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, hematology/oncology, infectious diseases, nephrology, neurology, pulmonology, sleep medicine, surgery and urology.
UF physicians will travel to Tallahassee once a month to see new and returning patients in person at the CMS site. In the meantime, patients will be seen by one of two full-time nurses who will have a special computer on wheels to set up the telehealth appointment with the physician in Gainesville.
UF Health has successfully implemented a similar telehealth model in Daytona with pediatric genetics and diabetes providers for more than a decade. UF Health contracts with Florida to provide genetic services, and UF genetics physicians use telehealth at CMS locations statewide.
“Telemedicine allows us to expand access to quality patient care in a way that makes it easier for families,” said Rivkees. “This program greatly improves access for children in the region to the top children’s hospital in north Florida.”