RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) – According to a survey by the National Mental Health Alliance, more than 36% of Vermont adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in February 2021. But with a shortage of healthcare workers, one new telehealth company is looking to fill the gap.
“Some people are waiting three, six, even eight months to get their first appointment, and a crisis waits for no one,” said Tiny Ray, founder of Telemedicine Essentials of America.
Ray was a longtime nurse in Vermont and is now spearheading an effort to improve access to mental health care across the state through telehealth. “If we have resources in our communities to be able to check in and support people who are struggling frequently, our goal is to minimize emergency room utilization,” Ray said.
One of the challenges of healthcare across a rural state like Vermont is that people are unable to drive long distances just for a single appointment or doctor’s visit. “Telehealth allows members of our community to receive treatment in the comfort of their own home, eliminating travel time and the need for transportation and making appointments more accessible,” said Samantha Sweet, deputy commissioner of the Vermont Department of Mental Health.
“What we hear every day is how hard it is for patients to get care,” said Jared Zucker of Brattleboro Retreat.
“Before telehealth, patients would drive to UVM, Dartmouth or sometimes even Boston — typically to Boston — to see a specific specialist to get treatment for a specific condition,” said Rick Hildebrandt, MD, of Rutland Regional Medical Center.
Ray said telehealth isn’t a replacement for in-person care, but it can fill in the gaps. “We’re not here to take away anyone’s business, we’re here to support them. Wherever there’s a gap, we’re here to fill it. We’re very much about collaboration. So it’s not, ‘This is my patient.’ No, if you’re making a referral, we’re going to work with you to make sure the patient gets everything they need,” Ray said.
Ray says they also want to bring in mobile vans to send nurses out to appointments to help treat local residents and meet them where they are.
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