Fast Facts
- How long I’ve been at Rush: I’ve worked at Rush Convenient Care for about two and a half years.
- Where I got my medical degree: Northern Illinois University
- Why I love Rush: I enjoy being able to closely collaborate with other providers and specialties. I also love interacting with patients who come from diverse backgrounds.
- What I like to do when I’m not working: I like to run and play golf. I also spend a lot of time with my wife and our golden retriever.
I’ve primarily worked as a nurse practitioner in walk-in and urgent care settings. I’ve been a nurse practitioner for about three years, and before that I was a nurse for six years. I see patients both virtually and in-person.
Access to care is important
Virtual care gives patients an additional way to reach out to a provider for care. It also allows me to reach patients who might not seek care otherwise.
I’ve found that patients will often put off care for a variety of reasons — they might be busy, think their problem is too minor or be anxious about expressing their concerns to someone in person. Virtual care gives patients another outlet to seek care conveniently in a low-effort way.
Virtual care can also help patients become more comfortable communicating with a provider, which can increase their understanding of their medical issue and help reduce their anxiety about medical care.
Minor problems can become major
I often see patients who are unfamiliar with health care and who end up foregoing care because they think their health problem is not serious enough to visit their provider. However, minor problems can turn into major problems if not addressed early, so I always stress to patients that it’s important to seek care for any health problem.
Virtual care gives patients an outlet to seek care for health concerns that they may not want to visit a doctor’s office for — or even just to ask questions. When patients seek care virtually, virtual care providers have the chance to ease patients’ concerns and address problems before they become more challenging to treat.
Virtual care is essential for health care
While I’m not able to treat everything through a virtual visit, I appreciate the chance to help patients with their non-complex conditions and direct them to other resources. I truly think virtual care is here to stay and will improve as technology improves. I hope one day we’ll be able to see something even more advanced in virtual care — like a provider being able to listen to a patient’s heart and lungs or obtain vital signs through the use of a smart phone. Virtual care is an essential part of health care and I’m proud to be a part of it.
