The Bolivar School Board has approved a measure to partner with CoxHealth to provide telemed services for our students and staff.
The Virtual Clinic program will provide four telemed access systems, one cart for each main building (BHS, BMS, BIS, and BPS.) It will allow access for students and families to receive health care services without leaving campus and in most cases, should allow parents to remain at work or home. The Virtual Clinic will connect our students or staff with a licensed physician or nurse practitioner using telemed services, and parents can participate via mobile device from home or work.
“We are excited to partner with CoxHealth to provide this service to our students,” said Dr. Richard Asbill, superintendent of Bolivar Schools. “We know that getting quality healthcare to rural parts of Missouri is an ongoing struggle, and this program should help bridge that gap. Our goal is to partner with parents and provide medical access during the school day which should allow parents to remain at work while still meeting initial medical needs for their child. This should help students stay in school and keep a minor medical need from turning into something more chronic.”
“This program will allow many students to receive quick treatment, as applicable, while resolving some transportation issues for parents,” said Mindy Quarles, Bolivar Schools Health Services Lead. “It should eliminate time in waiting rooms, which equals time out of the classroom. The Virtual Clinic will also provide another layer of support for our current health services staff nurses.”
“This program serves students, parents and schools in a number of ways,” says Tabitha Ferwalt, Virtual Visits product manager with CoxHealth. “It allows kids to be diagnosed quickly, and also helps reduce absenteeism.”
Some of the conditions that can be treated through a virtual clinic visit are: ear infection, pinkeye, sinus infection, stomach flu, strep throat, and more. The virtual visit does come with a copay visit cost, but can be covered by insurance, medicaid, or other resources based on eligibility.