by Dr. Glenn Updike and Jennifer Chaney

Through the UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Virtual Care Center, Pennsylvania residents may access care with UPMC Magee-Womens specialists through online scheduling of MyUPMC Video Visits. Using a smartphone or tablet, patients can connect with a Magee-Womens expert about their condition and explore treatment options.

The vision for the Virtual Care Center (VCC) arose through the Hatch Clinical Innovation team in the Women’s Health Service Line, led by Dr. Hy Simhan. The team works on improving care through technology and innovation, with a focus on virtual care, population health, and patient engagement. Like a mama bird to its egg, Hatch serves as an incubator for innovative ideas that need a bit of nurturing; it helps proposals grow, develop wings, and ultimately take flight.

Leaders of the Virtual VCC program at UPMC Magee-Womens, Dr. Glenn Updike, Medical Director for Clinical Informatics, Women’s Health Service Line, and Jennifer Chaney, Director, Women’s Health Service Line, offer an inside glimpse of the program’s creation, patient benefits, and future aspirations.

Why was the Virtual Care Center at UPMC Magee-Womens created?

Patients reported that there was too much friction in accessing the expert care that our service line provides. We wanted them to be able to schedule new consultations based on symptoms or diagnoses, rather than needing a referral or knowing exactly which provider manages their individual health concerns. To make the process as easy as possible for patients, the VCC incorporated self-scheduling online that allows patients to complete the initial consultation via MyUPMC Video Visits.

Our goal is for our team to take on the burden of navigating the health care system and create a concierge-type service to facilitate comprehensive care for our patients. This level of service is possible through the skills and expertise of our project manager Loren Berger; she takes amazing care of our patients.

When did the VCC roll out, and how has its reception been?

Starting in February 2021, we began rollout in nine subspecialties and added additional subspecialties throughout the year. Based on the success of our subspecialty experience, we launched our General Gynecology VCC in July 2022, and a Prenatal VCC in May 2023. We’ve also added additional clinics with support services for our patients, including lactation and social work. Dedicated Advanced Practice Providers see patients every day and are supported by Loren and our operational team.

We’ve completed 3,000+ new patient consultations from all over the state of Pennsylvania since launch. The General Gynecology program accounts for nearly 10% of all new patient encounters in our department, and the generalist programs now constitute around 60% of our VCC visits. The Wolff Center at UPMC, the corporate quality department, conducted qualitative phone interviews with patients who completed a visit and found that most patients were very satisfied with their care and would recommend the VCC to a friend. Patients acknowledged the ease of scheduling online, satisfaction with same-day availability, and the flexibility of completing these consultations via video visit. Provider responses to the VCC have also been extremely positive, as visits are scheduled into their normal clinical days.

What plans do you have for the future of the VCC?

Navigating health care systems can be hard for patients. It’s important that we develop models of access that acknowledge that challenge for patients and deconstruct barriers to access that do not add value. Change is never easy, and as we began planning the VCC, some were concerned that patients would schedule for inappropriate reasons or with the wrong type of specialist. With thousands of completed visits now, we haven’t found that to be the case; in fact, we’ve learned patients are very good at self-scheduling with the providers they need.

We encourage Magee-Womens alumni to take a deep look at the access processes at their own organizations and explore new strategies to reduce unnecessary friction for their patients. In the future, we are eager to continue to grow the reach of the Magee-Womens Virtual Care Center and expand the list of services we provide.

Read the full Spring 2024 issue of Magee Matters here.