Meeting House Lane Offers Telehealth System

Patients on the East End now have access to their provider from the safety and privacy of their own homes. The Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Meeting House Lane Medical Practice has implemented a telehealth system to help address local needs during the COVID-19 health care crisis.

“The offering has already been a success,” the hospital said in a statement about the program, called OTTO. “It gives patients one-on-one time with their physicians without having to travel.”

To schedule an appointment, patients simply call their Meeting House Lane physician. Most locations are providing telehealth, with the exception of specialty needs that require in-office visits. The provider’s office will send a confirming email or text with a link to join the OTTO platform. The patient is asked to complete pre-visit information before connecting with the doctor. Telehealth visits can be held on almost all computers, laptops, Android mobile phones, and Apple mobile devices, including iPhones and iPads.

Patients experiencing life-threatening symptoms or requiring emergency care should immediately go to the nearest emergency room. Stony Brook Southampton Hospital separates non-COVID-19 patients from those who are confirmed or suspected of having contracted the novel coronavirus. Time is especially critical in treating a heart attack or stroke. The hospital continues to provide necessary medical procedures.

Virtual Caregiver Groups

If you are a family member or caregiver of a hospitalized or at-home patient diagnosed with COVID-19, there’s resources and support. The Southampton hospital is offering Zoom caregiver group sessions Wednesdays at 10 AM.

For information and to register, contact the hospital’s Palliative Care Community Outreach Manager Dorothy Raniolo or The Phillips Family Cancer Center social worker Lauren Richard-Holt. Raniolo can be reached by calling 631-740-1761 or sending an email to dorothy.raniolo@stonybrookmedicine.edu. Richard-Holt can be contacted at 631-638-7771 or by email at lauren.richardholt@stonybrookmedicine.edu.

Invitations to Zoom virtual meetings are sent by email the day before the scheduled group session.

A general bereavement group is also held virtually, Thursdays at 12:30 PM. Contact Raniolo for more information or to register.

Stony Brook Medicine

Before the pandemic hit, Stony Brook Medicine’s interdisciplinary telehealth workgroup consisting of a cross-section of executive leaders; clinical, academic and technical experts; researchers; educators; and marketers already had several telehealth initiatives up and running. Multiple angles were approached, including piloting the software programs, purchasing hardware, and establishing workflow — all with an eye on sustainability and immediate expansion. Early-adopter champions led the way in telepsychiatry; Long Island’s first and only mobile stroke unit program; teleneurology consultations; Suffolk County’s first pediatric telemedicine transport program; and a remote patient monitoring study.

For more on the telehealth practices in place at Stony Brook, visit here.

Learn more on procedures in place at Stony Brook University Hospital due to COVID-19 through Stony Brook Medicine.

desiree@indyeastend.com