CenterPlace Health, a non-profit, Federally Qualified Health Center in Sarasota County provides Primary Care Services in Adult Health, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dental and Behavioral Health has received a $20,000 grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation.  The grant will help develop telehealth services as part of the COVID-19 Response Initiative in Sarasota County.  Expansion of telemedicine will allow CenterPlace to create virtual visits with our clients who are experiencing symptoms or reside in outbreak areas.  The use of telehealth potentially reduces infection risks for vulnerable populations.  Our mission is to provide all patients including the underserved and uninsured access to quality primary care and preventative health education regardless of race, sex, disability, or economic status. A recent bill was passed which allowed the government to waive telehealth restrictions to help deal with the public health emergency created by the coronavirus outbreak.  It also could open the way for more lasting changes in patient treatment strategies through virtual health care. 

 “Telehealth is becoming instrumental in containing and treating disease, particularly in a public health emergencies such as Covid19 and will allow us to continue providing care to all our patients  especially our pregnant Moms and Babies”  said from Melissa Parker, CEO of CenterPlace Health. Telemedicine cannot take the place of a swab of the throat to collect a sample for scientific testing. But it can help doctors make special arrangements to safely receive a patient who is sick and suspects the virus may be involved. Perhaps even more important, telemedicine would offer a way for patients with ongoing medical issues such as diabetes and other chronic illnesses  to still get the care they need without having to go to the doctor’s office and risk coming into contact with someone who is sick. Many CenterPlace Health patients have multiple, chronic health conditions, making them part of the vulnerable populations susceptible to the Coronavirus, COVID-19.  We want our patients to know we care, and we are here for them. CenterPlace Health is Sarasota County’s safetynet health care provider and has been actively involved in COVID-19 testing  and treatment. 

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