HJNO Nov/Dec 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  NOV / DEC 2020 45 convenient access to acute and preventa- tive healthcare since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Without it, patients would either have had no access to care or might possibly be too afraid to go out and find necessary healthcare. “As Aledade’s Louisiana regional med- ical director, I work with physicians in private practice and community health centers across the state. Since the pan- demic, many have commented that there’s no possible way they could have main- tained the health of their patients without telemedicine,” said Josh Lowentritt, MD, medical director, Louisiana Physicians Ac- countable Care Organization. “One physi- cian who practices family medicine con- Jim Pittman Executive Director Orleans Parish Medical Society (OPMS) We are now doing telemedicine in almost all areas and specialties including inpatient, emergency and ambulatory. Without a doubt, the ability to pivot to telemedicine kept many people with access to their doctors during this pandemic. fided ‘I know that with telehealth I have saved lives by being able to stay open for my patients during this crisis.’ “ Telemedicine has helped expand access to care in this region at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has severely restrict- ed many patients’ ability to see their physi- cians. The demand for addressing mental health challenges has increased substan- tially throughout this crisis. “Since we used telemedicine regularly at Integrated Behavioral Health prior to the pandemic, we were able to pivot quickly when the pandemic hit and ensure as lim- ited interruption as possible for patient care,” said OPMS Board member Mehdi Qalbani, MD, a psychiatrist and co-found- er of Integrated Behavioral Health. “As long as the regulatory changes that were implemented as a result of COVID are al- lowed to continue and if insurers continue to allow equal access to care, we are confi- dent that telemedicine will allow increased access to mental health services and ulti- mately, hopefully, result in better care of our patients.” Louisiana physicians now have the technology to treat many ailments with- out ever having in-person contact with a patient. Patients can speak directly with medical professionals, take electronic photographs of troublesome conditions and are even able to monitor blood pres- sure from a remote location. This infor- “ “ —Scott Mackey, DO