The last several months have been filled with uncertainty, change, and adaptation. Out of the chaos, however, have come some new and creative ways of living our daily lives. Businesses have had to change the way they “do” business in order to continue to meet the needs of their communities. Health care is no different.
We, at Windom Area Health, have taken all of the necessary precautions to keep our consumers and our staff safe. Even with those safety measures in place, some are still not comfortable seeking the medical attention that they need. WAH Rehabilitation department is now able to provide a viable option for access to therapy services from your home.
Telehealth therapy services provide a real time, audio and video appointment with a licensed professional in areas of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and/or speech therapy. While there are some obvious limitations with telehealth appointments (i.e. inability to utilize manual techniques, physical modalities or therapy equipment) it does provide the patient access to their therapist’s particular area of expertise while providing quality therapy in a modified setting. Some diagnosis and or patients may not be a good fit for the telehealth option. While others may benefit from a hybrid version (some in person appointments and some telehealth appointments). These options can be discussed with your providing therapist and together it can be determined what option is the best for you.
How does one go about setting up a telehealth therapy appointment? First and foremost, you must have a prescription from your medical doctor for physical therapy, occupational therapy and/or speech therapy. You can then contact Windom Area Health Rehabilitation department at (507)831-0634 to schedule your telehealth therapy appointment.
It is important to us at Windom Area Health to keep your health information protected at all times and this includes during your telehealth visits. In order for us to do this, we need to utilize HIPAA compliant software that automatically protects all of your personal information. This is the reason you must have a My Chart account in the Sanford Health app in order to participate in a telehealth therapy visit.
How To Set-up your My Chart account and Download the Sanford Health App:
- All video visits require a My Sanford Chart account.
- If you do not already have an account, please ask us for assistance or visit MySanfordChart.org.
- All Windom Area Health and Sanford Health patients are able to sign up for a MyChart account. To sign up, go to MySanfordChart.org and follow prompts under ‘Get Access Here.’
- If you have a My Sanford Chart account but have forgotten your username and/or password, you can reset these at MySanfordChart.org.
- Please note: video visits should be joined on a mobile device with the Sanford Health app to provide the best experience.
You can download the app from the Mac App Store for iPhone devices or the Google Play Store for Android devices by searching for Sanford Health. You can also click on the links below.
Since telehealth is relatively new to the therapy world, not all insurance companies recognize this as a covered benefit. Prior to any telehealth visit, we will contact your insurance company regarding your specific plan on whether or not they cover telehealth therapy services. Once coverage is determined, all charges will be submitted to your insurance just as any other therapy charges would be.
Once you have the app and have scheduled an appointment, the rest is fairly easy. We have developed a step by step guide on how to access your telehealth therapy which can be seen by Clicking Here. Some other tips that may be helpful to consider prior to your appointment include:
- Try to set up for your appointment in a fairly open area that you can move around in. Your therapist may need to see your entire body from head to toe while you are moving.
- Keep in mind that you may need to have access to a bed or somewhere that you can lay down.
- You may need to be able to move about without holding on to your video device (tablet or phone). You may want to have someone else available to hold the device or the ability to prop the device if needed.
- Wear comfortable, unrestricting clothing that you can easily move in.
- Be somewhere that you can give your undivided attention away from the chaos of “life.”
Windom Area Health Rehabilitation department is here to serve all of your therapy needs whether that be via a clinic appointment, telehealth appointment or a hybrid of the two. Please contact us today at 507-831-0634 to schedule your appointment and get yourself on the road to better health.
By Teresa Elder