'The Genie is out of the Bottle': Rural Healthcare Providers See Silver Lining to Pandemic

This article from the New Mexico Political Report is another example how “necessity” as forced upon all of us with COVID-19 “is the mother of invention” by way of telehealth. As a first generation American with parents from developing countries, the exposures early on that made me interested in medicine and ultimately pediatrics, were the images of children living in poverty. And while, as a physician, I cannot change many of the social ills that create and maintain poverty, I have always been interested in innovative ways of delivering care in areas that are underserved, in the US, and abroad. I have obtained additional, specialized training in telemedicine from the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), as well as the telemedicine companies Teladoc, AmWell, and Maven, to develop additional skills necessary to streamline the process and understand the utility and limitations of this mode of healthcare delivery. Telemedicine and tele-education for medicine has helped to expand our reach as physicians, and the care options for our patients, and in doing so, is helping to remove one obstacle to healthcare delivery, physical distance. In a rural state like ours, much like New Mexico, telemedicine is an essential tool for maintaining equity in healthcare, improving access for all of our members, and improving health outcomes across our rural state. Click here to read the article and learn more.