Eastern Plumas Health Care begins conducting tele-psychiatry appointments using their
new, state of the art telemedicine, video-conferencing equipment, beginning on Sept.
29. EPHC’s primary care physicians have begun making referrals over the past month,
and already there are 26 patients prepared to take part in these sessions. Patients will
initially have a 30 minute appointment with psychiatrist, Dr. Garewal, with the length and
frequency of follow up appointments determined by the doctor at that visit.

According to Schweyer, patients in Graeagle, Greenville, and Loyalton also will be able
to “see” the psychiatrist utilizing one of EPHC’s six new telemedicine systems, by the
end of November. Further, Schweyer, plans to add endocrinology appointments within
the next 1 – 2 months, with pulmonology, rheumatology, and nephrology appointments to
follow.

EPHC’s temedicine carts will assist in community and staff education, as well. In the
near future, the hospital’s community health education series, which takes place at the
Education Center in Portola, also will be attended remotely by community members
in Loyalton and Greenville. Utilizing telemedicine equipment, audience members will
be able to interact with the health care provider giving the talk that evening in Portola,
getting their questions answered, as if they were in the room with the provider.

This same video-conferencing technology will be used for medical staff education, as
well. Recently, providers received educational updates, through tele-conferencing, on
diabetic neuropathy and prescribing injectable insulin agents.

Finally, the program that was the catalyst for the BTOP grant that provided the
equipment in the first place, Tahoe Forest Hospital’s cancer program, will bring follow
up care for their patients who reside in our community.

The sky is virtually the limit when it comes to telemedicine, and Schweyer is the kind of
practical visionary that can not only imagine something new, but can also see it through
to implementation.

In the face of cuts to programs and services, telemedicine offers more high quality
services in the areas in which patients most need help. And, it offers these services to a
population that would either choose not to travel or is simply unable to do so. Having the
best quality services close to home is truly the best medicine.