Stone Mountain
Health Services

Enhancing Healthcare Access in Rural Communities Through Telehealth Equipment Expansion

Stone Mountain Health Services, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serving seven counties in Southwest Virginia, is enhancing telehealth capabilities across its 10 primary care locations. This initiative aims to improve behavioral health services and physical exam capabilities in rural areas with limited access to urgent care or same-day medical evaluations outside of emergency departments.

Work to be Conducted:

• Enhance mental health services by installing Logitech Rally Bars and TytoCare telehealth equipment to facilitate high-quality virtual consultations.

• Expand same-day clinic access by implementing telehealth devices to enable remote physical examinations, allowing patients to receive timely care without traveling long distances.

• Conduct comprehensive staff training sessions to ensure clinical staff are proficient in using the new telehealth systems.

Goals to be Achieved:

• Provide enhanced telehealth services to a broader patient population, particularly those in underserved rural communities.

• Improve health outcomes through utilizing advanced telehealth tools to deliver timely interventions, aiming for better patient health metrics and satisfaction.

• Reduce patient wait times and optimize appointment scheduling through the effective use of telehealth solutions.

Healthy Appalachia Institute Next Steps:

As this program unfolds, we aim to better understand how the implementation of advanced telehealth technologies will impact access to quality health care in Southwest Virginia’s rural communities. This strategic integration could improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency within Stone Mountain Health Services’ network.

We invite you to revisit this page as this project

is updated and as the evaluation

of the project continues