ChristianaCare Virtual Primary Care Focuses on Establishing Patient Relationships

Delaware-based ChristianaCare has launched a subscription-based virtual primary care offering that it says is unusual because it combines the benefits of a long-term relationship with a primary care team and the convenience of virtual care.

“Virtual primary care in most markets does not establish an ongoing relationship between the patient and the provider — it’s on-demand care with the next available provider,” said Sarah Schenck, M.D., medical director of virtualist medicine at ChristianaCare, in a statement. “ChristianaCare Virtual Primary Care is different. We offer a personalized approach in which patients have the attention of their care team who are all focused on their specific needs and health goals. Each care team knows their patients and is actively working to help them reach their personal health goals. And when patients need specialized care or services, our providers have access to ChristianaCare’s network and the ability to refer to the trusted services and specialists a patient might need outside of primary care.”

The practice is accessible to residents of Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey and available by monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription. Plans are available for people ages 5 and older and start at $35 per month. The subscription provides access to virtual primary care services — with no additional fees or copays — including same-day appointments, extended hours on nights and weekends, secure text-messaging and the convenience of always-on care.

Services that are not a part of primary care, such as emergency room visits, lab tests, diagnostic imaging and specialist referrals, are not included in the subscription and would be subject to the patient’s existing health insurance coverage.

“At ChristianaCare we are reimagining health care by making it radically convenient and accessible, and by creating a unique and personal experience,” said Sharon Anderson, M.S., R.N., ChristianaCare’s chief virtual health officer and president of ChristianaCare’s Center for Virtual Health, in a statement. “The Virtual Primary Care practice goes beyond simply offering video visits to patients. We’ve transformed care so it no longer revolves around waiting for an appointment — it’s immediate, coordinated, continuous. Patients can now access virtual primary care 24/7 as well as a host of other health services — all through their computer, tablet or smartphone.”

When individuals sign up, they’ll choose their care team, including a primary care provider, nurse and a patient digital ambassador (PDA). The patient digital ambassador serves as a personal health guide to assist individuals with registration and technology set-up for their virtual visits. As a care team member, the PDA is available as a personal health guide, while the primary care provider supports patients with their clinical care needs.

Once enrolled, individuals will receive a welcome kit tailored to their needs with tools to assist in their care, such as monitoring blood pressure, weight and temperature.

Patients can get quick referrals to specialists. They also can create a personalized Working on Wellness Plan (also known as WOW plan) to help achieve healthy goals around stress management, exercise, nutrition, sleep and more.

Last year, ChristianaCare announced it was partnering with medical and therapy service providers to offer integrated virtual health services 24/7 to colleges, universities and other institutions of higher education.

Together with PursueCare and SimpleTherapy, ChristianaCare created a bundled healthcare product that combines general medical services from ChristianaCare’s Center for Virtual Health, mental health and addiction treatment programs from PursueCare and musculoskeletal care from SimpleTherapy.

For a flat fee, a school can offer care that is customized and co-branded with school-specific content to be an extension of existing campus health services. It provides curated resources for rapid pre-assessment, on-demand chat, and discreet, personalized access to care for students on or off-campus, ChristianaCare said.