UnityPoint Health-Meriter quickly adapted to maintain and expand mental health services in its primary care clinics during the COVID-19 outbreak. Virtual options made it possible for increased patient visits the first half of 2020 compared to the last half of 2019.
Behavioral health patient visits:
1,492 from July to December 2019, all in-person clinic visits.
1,713 from January to June 2020, including 237 virtual visits.
UnityPoint Health-Meriter’s NewStart addiction clinic also expanded patient care through virtual and telephone visits during the pandemic. A total of 1,363 phone and virtual patient visits occurred between March and June 2020.
Access to these vital services was critical during the pandemic and offering virtual options provided convenience to patients, decreasing the typical no-show rate.
“Our Behavioral Health team has been integral in providing access to necessary (and previously hard to find) mental health services for our patients, said Bridget Pribbenow, MD, Family Medicine, UnityPoint Health-Meriter. “Working as a team allows for better continuity of care.”