Emplify Health by Gundersen Hillsboro providing virtual visits to Royall School District

Emplify Health by Gundersen Hillsboro providing virtual visits to Royall School District

When Royall Elementary School third-grader Riley Soltvedt showed up in the nurse's office at her school with an earache, nurse Hana Benish turned on a tablet. Soon, Patti Fronk, a nurse practitioner from Emplify Health by Gundersen Hillsboro, appeared on the screen, and she and Benish worked together to examine the source of the pain.

This type of collaboration is part of a pilot program in the Royall School District that allows the school nurse, who's an Emplify Health by Gundersen Hillsboro employee, and an in-clinic provider to work together on illnesses beyond the typical cuts, bruises and fevers a school nurse usually sees.

These virtual visits - using a program known as TytoCare - began this school year, and it allows students to be seen by a provider without necessarily having to go to a clinic, which keeps parents from having to leave work for a doctor's appointment. In doing so, students also miss less school - if they're not contagious. It does not, however, replace normal primary care visits.

"We have parents who work, and it's very difficult for them to take off time, especially if it's unplanned time where they're at their workplaces and they get a call out of the blue that their child isn't feeling well," said Royall District Administrator Scott Uppena. "This gives them the opportunity to say - if you are able and if there's an appointment available - could we set up a quick time to have a virtual appointment with a doctor just to verify what's going on?"

Benish said the virtual visit option is a great enhancement to her work because if she sees something going on with a student, that person can potentially be seen during the school day without leaving the building - and subsequently receive a diagnosis and get the appropriate prescription.

"It's quick and simple on our end. I think it's going to be a great asset to help parents out, as well," Benish said.

For Riley's mom Emily, who's also a fourth-grade teacher at the school, she no longer needs to make substitute plans to leave work, which itself is stressful. Getting to the doctor with a sick child adds another layer of stress.

"Even sometimes earaches, colds, sniffles are things they don't always have to leave school for," Soltvedt said, "so then to have to go to the hospital, just to find out they didn't have to leave school in the first place, can be a frustrating thing. So, this kind of technology is really nice, that you kind of minimize all that."

How it works

If a student comes to Benish with ear pain, for instance, she can use her otoscope to take a look inside the ear. Additionally, the system includes a stethoscope, tongue depressor with camera, and another camera to examine skin abrasions.

If what Benish sees needs further evaluation, she contacts a parent to get permission to schedule a virtual visit - which the parent can choose to sit in on from wherever they are.

At the time of the appointment, the student comes back to the nurse's office, where the clinical provider - via the tablet and an otoscope that transmits video back to the clinic - walks Benish through everything she'd like to see. After the provider makes a recommendation, Benish follows up with parents to discuss the visit.

"I love it. I'm very excited for our students," Benish said. "I know some kids can't be seen that quickly, and this helps ease the process. I know they're getting the care they need."

Soltvedt said she trusts Benish, and the students feel comfortable in school, which makes a doctor's visit in that environment a bit easier.

"Sometimes our kids, even with bumps and bruises, they feel like they just want to talk to our nurse," Soltvedt said, "so going and being able to be with somebody that they're comfortable with is just a nice place for them."

Parents are billed through insurance as they would be for any other virtual care visit. As for the school's cost to participate in the program, there is none.

"(Parents) trust the school district, and they know that we're going to try to do what's best for their children," Uppena said. "In that process, this is one of those things that allows us to continue to work with them."