VCDH launches TeleInfectious Disease within Providence

Providence Virtual Care and Digital Health (VCDH) is excited to announce the launch of TeleInfectious Disease (TeleID) services. “TeleID is designed to expand access to quality subspecialty care by addressing the shortage of infectious disease specialists in rural and underserved communities as well as smaller hospitals that may not have the ability to offer full time ID care in order to improve patient outcomes and hospital capacity and throughput,” says Dr. Negin Nekahi, the medical director for TeleID and an infectious disease physician at Swedish Medical Center.

In addition to improving infectious disease care and diagnosis, the VCDH TeleID program provides antimicrobial stewardship consultations and pharmacy support. Research demonstrates lower antimicrobial usage, more frequent discharge to home, and lower 30-day mortality rates with TeleID care (Gupta et al., 2022). 

The program officially launched at Providence Centralia Hospital in Washington in June, providing infectious disease coverage to the hospital 365 days a year. VCDH is actively expanding the service in our Providence footprint as well as developing a comprehensive virtual antibiotic stewardship program and outpatient follow up service for TeleID.

"Our team is looking forward to this valuable addition to the suite of services from VCDH.  Working with VCDH to launch the system TeleID program allows us to continue to provide continuity of access to specialty services for our community. We appreciate the opportunity to continue to partner with VCDH within Providence." – Dr. Hetal Kothari, MD, MPH, Medical Director PMG | Hospitalist programs - Providence St Peter Hospital and Providence Centralia Hospital | Infectious Disease and Psychiatry – PMG SW Washington

To learn more about the TeleID program, please contact Sarah Ray, Senior Product Manager, Virtual Care and Digital Health. 

_{Nupur Gupta, J Ryan Bariola, John W Mellors, Rima C Abdel-Massih, In-Person Versus Tele-Infectious Disease (Tele-ID) Care: Is One Better?, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Volume 9, Issue 8, August 2022, ofac410, https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofac410}