BOISE, Idaho — Primary Health Group is now letting patients skip the line and go to urgent care appointments online through telehealth.
While they aren’t the first in the Treasure Valley to allow telehealth appointments, they said it will be able to provide more access to healthcare throughout the state. Director of Urgent Care Derek Hamblin said this program is especially important for rural Idaho, which doesn’t have as easily accessible healthcare options.
“Medical access in Idaho is difficult especially in the outlying areas,” Hamblin said. “The service is through primary health, but anybody can call in and get an online telehealth visit through Primary Health.
The program is available Monday through Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. Primary Health also still have ten clinics across the Treasure Valley that patients can go to on the weekends.
The telehealth option is for symptoms that can be seen through a phone – like rashes, allergies or even mild headaches, Hamblin said. A full list of symptoms treatable on telehealth are on Primary Health’s website.
“There's a lot that you can treat through telehealth,” Hamblin said.
There is one doctor that is spearheading the effort – Hamblin said she has been doing urgent care visits for years.
“She can deal with the urgent care issues and if she feels like it's something more that she may send them to be seen in person,” Hamblin said.