SMH Launches Virtual Visits Program
[New Tecumseth, ON – May 20, 2020] Patients in need of medical assessments and support from various areas of Stevenson Memorial Hospital now have the ability to participate virtually from the comfort of their own home with the launch of the Virtual Visits program.
The program is a branch of the hospital’s Patient Connect online portal hosted by Meditech Expanse, SMH’s new Health Information System (HIS) in partnership with Southlake Regional Health Centre and Markham Stouffville Hospital. It’s a secure setting that will allow a face to face conversation with your physician or a medical professional to discuss your situation, and make a plan of care. Your physician will conduct a virtual assessment, review results and ask appropriate questions to help diagnose and manage your condition.
“We’re really proud to launch this program here at Stevenson as an extension of our Patient Connect portal,” says William Bye, Chief Financial & Information Officer, SMH. “Stevenson is among the first to launch Virtual Visits using Meditech in Canada, thanks to our collaboration with Southlake and Markham Stouffville, and is another success story as we leverage our technology to provide high quality health care to our patients.”
This project will begin with select areas of the hospital. The areas participating in this initiative at SMH currently include the Mary McGill Community Mental Health Program, and cardiology and nurse practitioner/Well Woman clinics in the Ambulatory Care Unit. The program has officially gone live and has completed its first virtual visits last week. SMH is planning on expanding the program to other areas in the future.
“As the landscape changes with our fight against COVID, we recognize that our fight to do the best for our patients has had to change direction as well,” says Jodi Walker, Quality, Risk & Patient Experience Manager. “We are excited to offer an experience that both supports our patients and keeps them safe. We want our community to feel supported and cared for during these times and this is another way we can do that.”
Patient Connect is an online tool that gives patients and families the ability to view the following health care information, 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
- upcoming appointments and procedures
- laboratory results
- diagnostic imaging reports
- notes from healthcare providers
- visit history information
SMH launched their Patient Connect online portal in September, 2019 as Phase 2 of the implementation of the hospital’s new HIS, Meditech Expanse. Now patients have access to their own information in Patient Connect, which includes health care information from all three hospitals in the partnership.
To enroll in Patient Connect at SMH and participate in the Virtual Visits program:
- Call the Health Information Department at (705) 435-3377 ext. 1216.
- The Health Information Department will provide you with an enrolment form and support you in the enrolment process.
- An email will be sent to the same address that you enter on the consent form. Follow the link to create your unique user login ID and password to complete enrolment.
- Hard copy pamphlets and enrolment forms are also available at SMH’s COVID-19 Assessment Centre in the lower parking lot.
Any inquiries regarding Patient Connect can be directed to patientconnect@smhosp.on.ca
