Fresh off their appearance at a March 13 digital health and AI showcase on Capitol Hill, Charleston-based virtual care provider VirtuAlly shared details of their continued efforts to highlight the importance of telehealth and campaign for improved access.
The Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law (CTeL) event saw VirtuAlly Chief Nursing Officer Angela Bozard and Director of Client Solutions Morgan Sires, interface with Washington lawmakers in their bid to help vulnerable individuals secure much-needed telehealth services.
CTel, in fact, put the advocacy wheels in motion prior to the annual exhibition by sending a letter to Senate and House members to address the increasingly vexing issue of facility fees for virtual healthcare. As Public Health emergency waivers expire, CTel noted, millions of seniors, rural residents and underserved communities are in peril of being deprived of their access to this "critical" mode of care.
And while a six-month extension for coverage under Medicare was included in the recently passed budget bill for telehealth reimbursement, VirtuAlly is seeking long-term solutions.
Sires recounted how regulations concerning reimbursement models were notably loosened during COVID, allowing care for both rural and urban patients. But with the global pandemic in the rearview mirror, Sires isn't sure if government officials will begin restricting the pathways to reimbursement.
"The challenge would be, because that scope is going to narrow such much, it's going to get really sticky on what's going to get reimbursed," observed Sires.
"I imagine a lot of folks will be challenged on a location to a hospital provider, which may make hospitals and providers, or even patients, kind of steer away from it."
Although VirtuAlly doesn't provide patient monitoring services in a remote capacity quite yet, that kind of care is something the healthcare staffing firm plans on offering in the near future.
With VirtuAlly's current presence in 11 South Carolina facilities, including MUSC in Charleston, Sires mentioned that a large portion of the state consists of rural areas with underserved patients.
Through its partnerships, moreover, VirtuAlly is bullish on incorporating AI advancements, as virtual nurses and "ambient listening" inserted into patient records will greatly enhance admissions and discharges, according to Sires.
What's more, AI voice recognition technology that automatically transcribes and interprets patient-provider conversations in real time will help lighten the administrative load for VirtuAlly's 150 employees.
"So, we look at it as an optimization tool for our virtual nurses," continued Sires. "[AI] may increase how many patients that our technicians can safely watch."
Other technological improvements that may be forthcoming, include invisible bed rails that will light up screens in the VituAlly command center if a patient has one foot out of bed or exhibits unsafe movement.
As for future growth, the VirtuAlly spokesperson believes that her team is "really on the cusp," as it will look to expand beyond their South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and California markets by getting into hospitals in North Carolina, the Midwest and Northeast.
Sires further stated that although there are only about three or four other providers of the same or similar services in the country, consolidation may be in the offing in one form of fashion.
In the short-term, however, Sires, Bozard and company are proud and enthusiastic about the inroads made at the DC gathering.
"I think our voice really was heard while we were there. I think all of the folks that were included from the CTeL, the CTeL members, did a great job of advocating why it's so important to continue this extension; and find a more permanent place for telehealth reimbursement."