Spokane-based Rockwood Health System has rolled out VirtualHealthNow, an online service that enables patients to obtain primary health care for nonemergency conditions at any time of day via video conference.

Online physician visits cost $39 and are payable by debit or major credit card.

VirtualHealthNow makes it possible for the patient to receive a diagnosis and treatment advice from any location in which a computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone has an Internet connection, says Dr. Gary Knox, chief medical officer for Rockwood Clinic PS, the medical practice affiliate of Rockwood Health System.

“Convenience is becoming more of a desire on the part of the patient,” Knox says.

VirtualHealthNow can be accessed through a free application that can be downloaded at rockwoodhealthsystem.com or through the Apple and Google Play app stores.

Patients don’t have to be Rockwood Clinic patients to sign up for VirtualHealthNow.

After setting up an account, a patient can log in easily and select an appropriate provider from a list of available physicians or schedule an appointment, Knox says.

VirtualHealthNow is ideal for patients who have an urgent need to see a physician for minor health concerns, such as sinus problems, fever, ear infections, allergies, migraines, stomach pain, and cold and flu symptoms, he says.

It’s not appropriate, however, for emergency-care situations, he says.

“The site gives some guidance when signing on,” Knox says. “It’s not the first place to seek medical attention if you’re having chest pains or stroke symptoms,” which require immediate emergency care.

Patients also should seek emergency care if they have difficulty breathing, serious trauma or burns, seizures, severe abdominal pain, deep cuts or abrasions, or pregnancy-related medical conditions, he says.

VirtualHealthNow providers are board-certified physicians who work with American Well, a Boston-based telehealth technology company.

American Well is a separate entity from Rockwood Health System and Rockwood’s Franklin, Tenn.-based parent company Community Health Systems, although some CHS facilities in other markets also offer VirtualHealthNow through American Well.

Jill Fix, a Rockwood Health System spokeswoman, says VirtualHealthNow physicians can evaluate and diagnose the patient. When appropriate, providers can send prescriptions to patients’ pharmacies.

“Patients can say where they get their prescriptions, and VirtualHealthNow doctors can forward prescriptions to any pharmacy that they can be electronically transferred through,” Fix says.

VirtualHealthNow doctors, however, can’t prescribe controlled medications through the service, including narcotic pain meds and certain sedatives, she says.

Knox says physicians document each visit and, in the case of Rockwood Clinic patients, the information is entered in Rockwood’s electronic record systems.

Rockwood Clinic plans to integrate many of its primary care providers into the service as consumer demand grows, Knox says. Several Rockwood-affiliated physicians already have contacted him about participating in the service, he says.

Knox says doctors don’t have to be based at a centralized location to provide services through VirtualHealthNow, although each is required to have a controlled environment with some decorum in attire and background.

“It is a live video conference,” he says, noting the patients will be able to see the physicians just as the physicians will be able to view patients through their video and photo-enabled devices.

VirtualHealthNow isn’t designed to replace routine in-person visits with care providers, Knox says, adding that the service is an option for obtaining an appropriate level of care that’s cost effective for both patients and the health care system.

At $39 for a virtual visit, the cost also makes health care more affordable for some people, he says.

“A lot of insurance co-pays are close to that,” Knox says. “Sometimes, a doctor visit will generate additional fees.”

VirtualHealthNow also is an ideal option at times when it’s inconvenient to schedule immediate in-person visits, and when the regular care providers’ offices are closed, he says.

Knox says Rockwood Clinic went online with VirtualHealthNow earlier this month, and nearly 350 people signed up in the first few days. By the fourth day, three patients had scheduled virtual doctor visits, he says.

Each patient who uses the service will be offered a three- to four-question survey that will help identify whether the service meets patient expectations and how it can be improved.

Knox says he hasn’t heard from users here yet, but adds that VirtualHealthNow is “running quite high in satisfaction” among patients in other markets.

VirtualHealthNow isn’t billing health insurers in this market yet.

“We know there are other markets they are billing insurances,” Knox says. “It depends on how willing the local players are.”

He says VirtualHealthNow patients tend to be in their 30s or younger, although Rockwood Health Systems is marketing the service to all age groups.

Spokane-based Providence Health Care, which is Rockwood Health System’s largest competitor, provides access to a similar service for patients in Eastern Washington through Portland-based Providence Health eXpress.

Health eXpress, which came online here in April, also charges $39 a virtual visit and its services are available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Separately from VirtualHealthNow, Rockwood Clinic has implemented a reservation system for its Rockwood Urgent Care Centers.

Urgent care is appropriate for treating minor injuries and non-life-threatening conditions that require immediate treatment, including lab work, X-rays, and intravenous fluids, Knox says.

The reservation system enables patients to hold their place in line at any of Rockwood Clinic’s six urgent care centers by going online to select a location and a convenient time.

Patients also can choose to receive confirmation and text reminders regarding their reservations.

Rockwood Clinic Urgent Care Centers are located at 400 E. Fifth, downtown; at 9001 N. Country Homes Blvd., on the North Side; at 2713 N. Argonne Road, in Millwood; at 3016 E. 57th, on the South Hill; at 14408 E. Sprague, in Spokane Valley; and at 1326 N. Stanford Lane, in Liberty Lake.

The urgent care centers are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.

Each urgent care center has lab and imaging services. The downtown and Valley centers also offer advanced imaging capabilities, including computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound imaging. 

The downtown, Valley, and North Side urgent care centers also offer intravenous therapy.

The Rockwood Health System network includes Deaconess Hospital, Valley Hospital, and Rockwood Clinic.