One year ago, under the Ambulatory Redesign Initiative, the Pediatric Ambulatory Operations team launched a new service that is revolutionizing how we deliver care and support to the patients we serve – the first Virtual Visit Support Center (VVSC). On May 10, 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic was in its second year, the team introduced a video orientation and virtual rooming service where patients are offered the convenience of virtual pre-appointment device testing along with real time appointment support.
Within virtual “rooms,” Medical Assistants (MAs) collect all of the necessary patient information they would normally ask in-person, prior to a provider visit (e.g., medication review, pharmacy preference, etc.). In addition, the VVSC assists patients with device and MyChart support (i.e., basic computer and phone best practices) prior to their telemedicine appointment date to ensure a seamless and stress-free virtual appointment.
Since the VVSC launch, the team of nine staff consisting of Ambulatory Services Representatives and MAs is now supporting 10 Ambulatory Pediatric sub-specialties across The Medical Center, West Campus, The Woodlands Campus and Austin. The team is currently expanding to other pediatric sub-specialties with the intent to expand to surgical and women’s sub-specialties in the future.
Some highlights from the VVSC’s efforts in FY22 include:
- The MA team has roomed over 30,000 virtual appointments
- Over 1,800 patients have received telemedicine video orientation prior to their appointments
- Patient satisfaction scores for telemedicine appointments are 2 percent higher within supported specialties compared to non-supported specialties
- MyChart Visit completion rate is 4 percent higher across supported medical specialties against their baseline
Every member of the VVSC team plays an important role in delivering quality, convenient and timely service and care to our patients and their families.
Monica Garcia, a MA within the VVSC, helps virtually room patients during their pre-appointment assessments. “I enjoy the convenience of virtual visits for families,” she said. “We are providing a service for families that relieves some of the stressors of a doctor visit. Driving in traffic, finding parking, missing a lot of school or work, and if one parent is out of town, they still have the opportunity to join in virtual and not miss any information pertaining to their child’s care.”
The first provider to experience the VVSC, Pediatric Pulmonologist and Sleep Medicine physician, Dr. Amee Revana, also shared her experience working with the team. “The handoff was great, I was able to spend more time with patients than reviewing the chart,” she said. “Patients did not mind having the Medical Assistant on…they actually liked it as it is similar to the in-person visit.”
The launch of the VVSC is one of the many reasons why Texas Children’s remains one of the leading women’s and children’s hospitals. Look out for more updates from this amazing team as they grow and expand to more specialty areas within Texas Children’s.
To learn more about this initiative and/or if you have questions, please reach out to the VVSC team at virtualvisitsupportctr@texaschildrens.org.