Amazon Care telehealth service goes nationwide
Amazon is taking its healthcare offerings to new heights.
The company announced that its Amazon Care platform is expanding its virtual health services nationwide, while its in-person services will be rolled out in more than 20 new cities this year.
In-person services already are available in Seattle, Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and across Texas’ Dallas, Austin and Arlington areas. Additional major metropolitan locations part of the expansion includes San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, and New York City.
[Read more: Amazon to widen Amazon Care service availability]
“The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased demand to bring care to patients’ homes —whether that be virtually or through in-home care services,” the company said in a statement. “Amazon Care is uniquely positioned to fill a critical gap in the healthcare system because it combines the best of virtual care with a new approach to in-person care.”
By expanding its services, Amazon Care will be able to give patients the option of receiving a wider range of care, which includes on-demand primary care and chronic care management from the comfort of their homes.
“Care Medical doctors and nurses across the country are dedicated to treating Amazon Care customers, so patients are able to build lasting relationships with their healthcare providers over time,” the company said.
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In addition, the company noted that several organizations looking to advance their workplace benefits have opted to make Amazon Care their primary choice for this expansion. Companies that have joined the service include Silicon Labs, TrueBlue and Whole Foods Market.
Organizations that have recently begun offering these health benefits to employees made note of three differentiators that stood out and aided in making this choice. Key differentiators include the company’s comprehensive solution; access to on-demand and high-quality clinicians through Care Medical and a seamless patient experience, the company said.
“Patients are tired of a healthcare system that doesn't put them first. Our patient-centric service is changing that, one visit at a time,” Kristen Helton, director of Amazon Care said. “We’ve brought our on-demand urgent and primary care services to patients nationwide. As we grow the service, we’ll continue to work with our customers to address their needs.”
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Amazon Care provides immediate access to a wide range of urgent and primary care services, including COVID-19 and flu testing, vaccinations, treatment of illnesses and injuries, preventive care, sexual health and prescription requests and refills, the company said.
When issues can’t be resolved over video, Amazon Care will dispatch a nurse practitioner to a patient’s home for additional care where in-person care is available, ranging from routine blood draws to listening to a patient’s lungs.