Southwestern Vermont Health Care Launches Virtual Urgent Care
BENNINGTON, Vt. — Southwestern Vermont Health Care has launched a virtual urgent care platform called CAREqd to improve access to medical care.
In medical terminology, "qd" is shorthand for "every day." Through CAREqd the community can receive urgent care at any time of day, every day. CAREqd can be accessed through a live, secure video connection on its website or a mobile app for smartphones.
"Our mission of exceptional care drives us to provide our community with increased access and convenience," said Dr. Trey Dobson, the medical center’s chief medical officer. "The CAREqd virtual urgent care platform is a way to extend the use of technology to make high-quality care even easier for patients."
The CAREqd platform provides patients access to urgent care around the clock every day of the year, including weekends and holidays. Patients can access urgent care from anywhere by phone or from an internet-enabled device, whether they are at home, at work or traveling. The mobile app makes it quick and easy to access a provider from a smartphone or tablet.
CAREqd is secure, confidential and easy to use. Patients create a free account online or via the mobile app and fill out their brief medical history. There is no cost to activate the account. When they need it, patients can request a video or phone visit at a time that fits their schedule or see a provider right away.
The CAREqd providers can diagnose, recommend treatment and prescribe medication for a wide range of conditions, including allergies, cough, diarrhea, earache, fever, flu, insect bites and stings, nausea, pink eye, rash, respiratory problems, and more.
SVMC has partnered with MDLive, a national virtual urgent care system, to develop CAREqd. Partnering with MDLive also brings a broad network of more than 1,000 providers, including physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. When patients use CAREqd they can choose between an SVMC/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Putnam provider or an MDLive provider that has particular expertise and experience in diagnosing and treating urgent care conditions over the phone and using video.
The cost is $70 per visit and is payable by credit, debit or Health Savings Account cards.
"We are excited to offer our region the only 24/7 urgent care service," Dobson said. "Due to the pandemic, there is a heightened effort to limit the number of patients in waiting rooms and their exposure to other patients, which makes CAREqd very relevant today."
Complete information, including links to download the CAREqd app, is available at careqd.com and from Southwestern Vermont Health Care's website.
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