In Tampa, Florida, those needing healthcare might be able to ditch the crinkly paper on an exam table and opt for something a bit more futuristic.

OnMed, a “hybrid” healthcare company, is rolling out its CareStations in cities across the country — including Tampa. 

These indoor structures are referred to as a “clinic-in-a-box” and can be installed anywhere there is a power outlet. 

Each station — which resembles a large phone booth or covered bus station — is an 8-by-11-foot pod that includes thermal imaging, medical devices, and a camera to speak with a telehealth provider.

The idea is to allow people to have real-time consultations with licensed healthcare providers via video chat, while still including the comprehensive vital exams of a traditional in-person doctor’s visit.

Tampa General Hospital partnered with the city and Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg to bring an OnMed CareStation to Tampa Hope, the first homeless shelter in the country to offer this kind of care to its 235 residents. 

“Between the high cost of services and struggles to find transportation, getting to the doctor can be a real problem for our homeless community,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a statement. “These CareStations allow Tampa Hope residents to achieve quality care without having to travel.”

The interior of each station resembles a small doctor’s office, but instead of a nurse in scrubs, visitors are greeted with a screen. Once they hit “start,” they will be instantly connected to an OnMed-certified nursing assistant who walks patients through a quick intake process, followed by a live, virtual visit.

Each station includes medical-grade diagnostic tools for the clinician to review real-time vital signs, as well as high-definition thermal imaging cameras, to examine the patient’s skin, eyes, ears, and throat, to diagnose infections and other conditions as needed.

“I do like … the machine because you can go in at any time you want to and take your vitals,” 65-year-old Sam Harris, a resident at Tampa Hope, told Health News Florida. 

“There’s a blood pressure machine. There’s a camera so you can see the practitioner. And they will call the ambulance for you if your vitals are way out of whack.” 

Providers can offer a diagnosis and treatment plan for every patient, including recommended medications, referrals, and e-prescriptions. Electronic medical records are stored securely to share with the patient and other providers, too.

The station is soundproof and private, locking to keep others out until a patient’s visit has ended. Once each patient leaves, the station automatically runs a sanitization cycle to prepare for the next visitor. 

Beyond Tampa, OnMed has seen success with this model. 

In Connecticut, one location sits outside a Stop & Shop in Killingly, and another is located next to a traditional healthcare clinic. 

Medical insurance policies for each CareStation location differ based on “each community’s needs,” according to Hartford HealthCare’s chief integration officer Debra Hayes. One of Connecticut’s locations requires insurance, while the other is insurance-optional.

The company also has live locations in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, and more than 20 other states have planned locations in the works.

In Georgia, OnMed has supplemented the efforts of Auburn University’s Rural Health Initiative, which has implemented CareStations in a number of counties, providing free care to visitors.

Tuskegee University also opened an OnMed CareStation for free to students, faculty, and staff. The school’s Center for Rural Health and Economic Equity, however, has also allowed the station to be utilized for free by residents of Macon County. 

While the cost of these stations varies in their respective communities, leaders agree that their benefits are well worth the investment for communities in need.

In Tampa, officials report that there has been a 50% reduction in emergency calls from Tampa Hope since the CareStation has been available. 

“If you think about how much it costs to take someone to the emergency room, taking up the time of the paramedics, the transportation, not to mention the medical care, this OnMed will pay for itself in short order,” Mayor Castor said.

For OnMed, the success among Tampa’s homeless population could pave the way for expanded healthcare access to people facing homelessness and medical disparities in cities nationwide.

“This partnership is an exemplary model for cities across America to observe and emulate as our country continues to struggle with the issue of homelessness,” OnMed CEO, Karthik Ganesh said. 

“Our focus is to find the bright spots where healthcare innovation, kindness, and compassion collide. We commend the City of Tampa for stepping up to acknowledge the importance of the preventative and ongoing healthcare needs of its homeless population.”

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Header image courtesy of OnMed