There is a severe shortage of practicing psychiatrists in the state of Iowa which makes it difficult to ensure that Iowans get the services they need. However, UnityPoint Health has been an innovator in utilizing technology to provide quality health care services, even in rural locations. In 2010, UnityPoint Health – Berryhill Center began providing psychiatry to rural locations throughout our 10-county service area by incorporating telehealth. Telehealth is a way of delivering health care, sharing health information and providing health education from a distance with the aid of technology. Berryhill Center utilizes secure video conferencing technology to connect psychiatric providers to patients in rural locations. The experience is similar to a Skype video call, but these services are delivered through a platform with very high security. All patients are asked if they would like to have a telehealth visit. While Berryhill Center continues to offer in-person services, often telehealth allows patients to be seen sooner than they could if they chose to wait for an in-person provider. During a telehealth visit, the patient is assessed by a nurse in-person to get an overview of the patients’ physical health then the patient is brought into a room where the provider can interview the patient through video conferencing. After the assessment the provider can then electronically send a prescription or lab order to the patient’s pharmacy or lab of choice.

Berryhill Center uses telehealth in three different ways.

First, it is used to allow Berryhill Center patients to connect with remote providers for a scheduled appointment. For example, Berryhill Center employs a provider who lives in Oklahoma, but is able to serve patients in Fort Dodge. Likewise this technology allows our psychiatrists in Fort Dodge to provide services throughout the 10-county service area.

Second, Berryhill Center uses telepsychiatry to allow patients in the hospital to have a consultative visit. A group of nine providers are eligible to provide telehealth consultations at UnityPoint Health – Trinity Regional Medical Center and three other area hospitals. These visits often occur in the Emergency Department. Many times patients feel overwhelmed with life and present to an Emergency Department because they do not know where to turn. Sometimes these patients need to go to a psychiatric hospital, but more often than not, simply need to connect with a psychiatric provider. Telehealth provides the hospital with the medium necessary to supply this service to these patients and then the patient can follow up with outpatient services at a later date.

Lastly, Telehealth allows UnityPoint Health – Berryhill Center to share resources with other communities across Iowa. Telehealth allows Berryhill Center to distribute services to patients who need them without geographical barriers.

Berryhill Center has improved its telehealth technology in the past six years, after being awarded a community reinvestment grant from Iowa Medicaid. Berryhill Center continues to invest and improve technology to ensure strong network firewalls and quality interactions. UnityPoint Health – Fort Dodge has also been able to expand services to other specialties. This is important as some patients are not able to travel to Fort Dodge for various services.

In 2015, UnityPoint Health took another step forward in offering telehealth and began offering Virtual Care for urgent care appointments like a sinus infection. The approach is similar to what Berryhill Center had done with its telehealth program only this allows patients to be seen for an urgent care appointment from their computer or smart phone in the comfort of their own home. The records from this appointment are then sent to the patient’s primary care provider so he or she can continue to follow up on the patient’s symptoms. This ensures that the patient gets continuity of care from his or her personal doctor. Studies have shown that establishing a relationship with a primary care provider is the most effective and cheapest way to meet an individual’s health care needs. UnityPoint Health recognizes this need and seeks to offer the convenience of a virtual doctor’s appointment while maintaining the best practice of ensuring that patients have continuity of care.

If you would like to try a virtual doctor’s appointment from your home go to www.unitypoint.org/clinics/virtual-care.

Aaron McHone is executive director at UnityPoint Health – Berryhill Center.