In March as COVID-19 began to spread throughout the Lehigh Valley, St.
Luke‘s University Health Network took extraordinary steps to keep as
many patient appointments as possible by establishing itself as the
regional leader in digital health. More than 1,200 providers, including
physical therapists, were trained to perform virtual visits. By last
week, they had conducted more than 100,000 telehealth appointments.
What do you do if you need to see a doctor for a concern other than
COVID? Live with the symptoms? Ignore them? Hope that maybe your pain or
discomfort will magically disappear? Risk even greater medical issues
because you didn’t seek help for a critical or chronic condition?
No. You have a virtual visit with your primary care doctor, specialist
or physical therapist. “Your health care needs don’t stop, and neither
do we,” stated St. Luke’s family medicine physician Dr. Dennis McGorry.
“In most cases you can stay home and still be ‘seen’ by your doctor.”
Patients who already have a scheduled appointment or need a new
appointment are encouraged to call their physicians’ office to schedule
the virtual visit in place of their typical in-office visit. Then it’s
simply a matter of connecting via phone or computer. If you are looking
to find a provider, call 1-866-STLUKES (758-8537), option 4 or visit
www.sluhn.org. For information on the COVID-19 pandemic, visit
www.sluhn.org/covid-19.
