All Samaritan Healthcare departments are now offering telemedicine appointments—allowing people to have their medical appointments from the safety and simplicity of their own homes.

Telemedicine lets you receive care even if you’re not physically coming into the clinic. Most visits—from behavioral health and well-child exams, to chronic disease management and medication refills—can all be done using private, secure video calls directly with your provider through an application called Zoom. Televisits—appointments conducted by telephone—are also available if you do not have access to the internet or to a device that allows video calls.

Telemedicine appointments are nearly identical to those in the clinic. You and your provider review your medical history, medications, and symptoms. Using video, you can show your provider areas of concern, such as skin rashes, joint pain, limited range of motion, and more.

Some conditions require a physical examination. If your provider determines that an in-person visit is necessary, you may be asked to make an in-clinic appointment or to visit Urgent Care at Samaritan Clinic on Patton or Samaritan Clinic on Pioneer. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, go to the nearest emergency department or call 9-1-1.

Appointments are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

A partial list of Samaritan’s telemedicine services includes:

• Primary care
• Preventive health
• Same-day visits
• Sports medicine
• Exercise and diet counseling
• Chronic disease management
• Dermatology
• Behavioral health

Scheduling your appointment
Call 509.793.9780 to schedule your appointment, just as you would for an in-person appointment at the clinic. Telemedicine appointments will be conducted using Zoom or Doximity, both secure, HIPPA-compliant tools. For a Zoom appointment you will need a device with a camera and microphone (e.g., computer, smartphone, or tablet). For a Doximity appointment, you will need a smartphone with a camera.

Reminder call
The day before your appointment, a receptionist will call to remind you of your upcoming Telemedicine appointment. If you are using Zoom, you will be given a 10-digit meeting ID to use to log into a secure, virtual meeting room with your provider. Each meeting ID number is personalized for each encounter so that no one can log in except you and your provider. A Zoom account is NOT required.

Check in for your appointment
The day of your appointment a receptionist will call to check you in. You will be asked to confirm that your information is current and to verify your insurance.

Appointment prep
Following your check-in call, you may immediately speak with a Medical Assistant (MA), or one will call you directly just prior to your appointment time. They will discuss your medical history, medications, and symptoms.

Connect with your provider
Connect through Doximity using your smartphone.
Approximately five minutes before your scheduled appointment time, your provider will initiate the appointment by sending you a text message with a link to begin the visit.

Connect through Zoom using any device.
At the time of your appointment, you will use your preferred device to access Zoom and meet with your provider using your secure meeting ID.