Making Healthcare More Accessible with Telemedicine with Jason Close

In Episode 6 of This is Rural Health we are joined by Jason Close from Dignity Health. Jason is the System Director of the Dignity Health Telemedicine Network (DHTN), and systems operations lead for acute care telemedicine for CommonSpirit Health. Since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, there has been a shift in how CommonSpirit has helped its patients.
Jason reminds us that the true heroes in healthcare in our rural communities are the primary care providers and how these individuals need to be empowered to care for their patients at a higher level.
In our conversation with Jason, we cover the changes that have occured in telemedicine and how his team is experimenting with using eConsult as a referral screening tool to help reduce wait times for specialist physicians.
As telemedicine becomes more normalized in our communities, we’ll continue to see more and more innovation in the space as from leaders like Jason and his team.
Listen to Making Healthcare More Accessible with Telemedicine on Apple Podcasts
This is Rural Health: Training the Physicians of the Future with Western University of Health Sciences
Episode 5 of This is Rural Health is a presentation by a panel from Western University of Health Sciences, one of the largest medical schools in the US. Facilitating the discussion is California State Rural Health Association (CSRHA) board member and treasurer Jeff Dunbar. Jeff is the CEO of OffSite Care (OSC), a multispecialty telemedicine company.
In this episode, the panel explores the topic of training the physicians of the future and how telemedicine can be an effective tool to prepare them for rural patient care.
This Is Rural Health, is a twice-monthly podcast from the CSRHA. The CSRHA is focused on ensuring that the needs and voices of rural Californians are expressed and heard and continually works toward improving the quality and length of life of rural Californians.
Listen to This is Rural Health on Apple Podcasts
REMOTE POSSIBILITIES: Telemedicine is expanding the reach of health care

[Excerpt from ROTARY Magazine, December 2020]
RIGHT NOW, I CAN SEE ALL my patients through my mobile phone,” says Prakash Paudyal, a pulmonologist and member of the Rotary Club of Jawalakhel, Nepal. Paudyal uses a Kubi device to turn a tablet into a “mini-robot” for remote monitoring of his COVID-19 patients who are in isolation at Nepal National Hospital. Paudyal learned about the Kubi and other telehealth practices during a vocational training team trip to the San Francisco area last year. “I do one round with all my [protective] gear on, and then I see all my patients through this mini-robot,” he says, thankful that the Kubi helps protect him from exposure to the virus.
The use of telehealth has surged worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, a study by McKinsey found that 46 percent of consumers are now using telehealth, up from 11 percent in 2019. Broadly defined, telehealth includes everything from virtual visits with a doctor to remote monitoring of a patient’s vitals to mobile health technologies…
Read more at rotary.org
Telemedicine Success Stories
Dr. James K. Gude explains the the use of telemedicine to extend critical care support to rural communities.
Innovation Nation Visits OffSite Care
Similar to the Discovery Channel, Innovation Nation is a Canadian TV show that focuses on technological breakthroughs. This segment focuses on how OffSite Care, a leading provider of telemedicine services, is improving the medical acuity and financial viability of rural hospitals in America.
Robotic Telemedicine in Action
A live demonstration of how telehealth provider OffSite Care successfully delivers intensivist consults to rural ICUs utilizing advanced robotic telemedicine.
Financial Benefits for Rural Hospitals
Physician Stories – Peter Bretan, MD
In this Physician Story, Dr. Bretan uses a robot to visit a hospital patient more than 100 miles away.
OSC Presentation pt.1
OffSite Care presentation on the effectiveness of telemedicine; includes case presentation and treatment of H1N1 swine flu patient; recorded 10/28/2009 at Sutter Hospital, Santa Rosa, CA.