The Oregon-Davis School Corporation’s new telehealth center is up and running. It allows sick students to be seen remotely by a licensed health care provider without leaving school, thanks to an agreement with HealthLinc.
School officials cut the ribbon on the new facility Monday. Superintendent Dr. Don Harman says it generated a good amount of interest, beyond the local area. “It was very well attended with many individuals throughout the state,” he says. “We had an individual from the DOE – a very nice ribbon cutting.”
Here’s how the telehealth center works: Sick students are taken to a private room at Oregon-Davis Elementary School. With the help on an on-site medical assistant, a health care provider in Knox can remotely examine a student’s ears, eyes, throat, and skin. A “virtual stethoscope” also lets the provider listen to the patient’s heart and lungs.
By using the system, the health care professional can diagnose and treat diseases like strep throat, flu, and ear infections, as well as minor injuries, according to HealthLinc. Limited laboratory testing will also be available.
Harman says the telehealth center is already getting some use. “We’ve had three or four students utilize the telehealth center last week,” he says. “So it’s in full functioning, and we’re very pleased with how it’s working for us at this time.”
Harman says Oregon-Davis was able to add the telehealth center thanks to a grant from the Indiana Rural Health Association. When it comes to the cost of the health care itself, HealthLinc will bill parents’ insurance. If a family doesn’t have insurance, HealthLinc says it will charge them on a sliding scale, based on household income.
