Atrium Health Opens First Apartment Complex-Based Virtual Care Clinic
Unique partnership provides access to care for community on the Central Avenue corridor
CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 11, 2023 – Atrium Health and Ascent Housing opened a community-based virtual care clinic at the Peppertree Apartments, located on the Central Avenue corridor in Charlotte. The clinic will provide access to health care for both residents and non-residents of the apartment complex. This is the first time Atrium Health has brought a virtual care clinic to an apartment complex.
“At Atrium Health, we believe that it’s essential for people to have safe, sustainable and affordable housing, not only because it is integral to overall health and well-being, but because everyone deserves a secure space to call home,” said Kinneil Coltman, executive vice president, chief community and social impact officer of Advocate Health, of which Atrium Health is a part. “We also believe that health care is a fundamental right to which everyone should have access, regardless of their background, income or where they live. The opening of this virtual primary care location at Peppertree represents the first time Atrium Health has established a virtual care location directly in a housing community. With this virtual care location, we are taking a step toward closing the gap in health care access and making it easier for our patients to get the care they need and deserve.”
With a goal to serve vulnerable individuals and families within their rhythm of life, when and where they need health care, the clinic will include an onsite health care technician who will assist in the completion of an enhanced video visit with either a primary or a specialty care provider. Utilizing a secure telemedicine platform and innovative technologies, a medical professional, located remotely, will complete a comprehensive health examination using a tele-stethoscope to listen to the patient’s heart and lungs, a tele-otoscope to see their eardrums and a high-resolution camera to evaluate the patient’s eyes, nose, throat and skin. Onsite testing will be available for conditions including flu, COVID-19, strep throat and various types of infections. Upon completion of an exam, the diagnosis and treatment plan will be discussed with the patient, including prescriptions and follow-up care, if needed.
“Ascent Housing is lucky to play a role in the incredible work that we celebrated today,” said Mark Ethridge, principal at Ascent Housing. “Atrium Health’s dedication to serving residents at our property is one of the highlights of the Housing Impact Fund. Our partners are driven by impact and not afraid to be the first to try a solution, if the potential is there to help people in a substantial way.
“The balancing act of time, transportation, work and child care creates immense obstacles for households in need of critical resources, like health care,” he added. “The introduction of this clinic removes those obstacles, providing primary care services at the doorstep of the households we are trying to serve.”
The clinic will be open for patients to walk-in Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. Patients may call 844-563-5268 to schedule an appointment.
For care outside clinic hours, patients may visit AtriumHealth.org/CareWhereIAm or go to the MyAtriumHealth website or app for information on the nearest locations available for their immediate needs.
Atrium Health has been a leader in virtual care in its health care facilities and the hospital at home and home health care programs. Beginning in August 2022, through a generous gift from Bank of America, the Meaningful Medicine program began providing support for virtual health and behavioral health care at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Central Piedmont Community College and YMCA locations. The program provides similar types of medical attention to students, with an emphasis on serving the most vulnerable areas within the community with embedded health support systems.
About Atrium Health
Atrium Health is a nationally recognized leader in shaping health outcomes through innovative research, education and compassionate patient care. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Atrium Health is part of Advocate Health, the fifth-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, which was created from the combination with Advocate Aurora Health. A recognized leader in experiential medical education and groundbreaking research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine is its academic core. Atrium Health is renowned for its top-ranked pediatric, cancer and heart care, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs Atrium Health is also a leading-edge innovator in virtual care and mobile medicine, providing care close to home and in the home. Ranked nationally among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals in eight pediatric specialties and for rehabilitation, Atrium Health has also received the American Hospital Association’s Quest for Quality Prize and its 2021 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award, as well as the 2020 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Equity Award for its efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in care. With a commitment to every community it serves, Atrium Health seeks to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all, providing $2.46 billion last year in free and uncompensated care and other community benefits.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the fifth-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the United States – created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois, Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama, and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health serves nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs nearly 150,000 team members across 67 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides nearly $5 billion in annual community benefits.
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