Virtual Care Collaboration Aims to Promote Rural Healthcare in Central NY

The Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Bassett Healthcare Network have teamed up to provide central New York residents with access to New York City-based clinical cardiovascular services.

In general, rural communities lack sufficient access to healthcare resources, often due to long travel times and other social determinants of health, like adequate technology infrastructure.

A study published in November 2021 found that patients with low socioeconomic status who resided in rural areas often experienced health disparities when using video-based telehealth. This was also the case among those over the age of 65 and Black patients.

To address these common difficulties in accessing care, the collaboration between Columbia University and Bassett Healthcare Network aims to provide patients with access to a large network of cardiovascular specialists in New York City.

Specifically, Columbia physicians will use telehealth technology to examine and consult with patients at Basset Healthcare locations downstate, with assistance from Bassett nurses. The Columbia physicians will be able to conduct physical examinations using live video, along with an electronic stethoscope that allow the physicians to remotely monitor heart and lung sounds.

Bassett Healthcare Network, headquartered in Cooperstown, New York, provides care to central New York residents through Bassett Medical Center, four community hospitals, and Bassett Medical Group, which comprises more than 400 physicians.

“Our digital health strategies center on seamlessly connecting our patients in rural settings with world-class physicians, here on the Bassett campus and through our partnership with Columbia,” said Tommy Ibrahim, MD, president and CEO of Bassett Healthcare Network, in a press release. “Bassett is committed to the ongoing expansion of our digital health capabilities into clinical services in cardiovascular care and beyond.”

Located in Manhattan in New York City, the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons provides medical education and is part of the health sciences schools that comprise the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

"We are very proud to have long been Bassett's partner in providing the most advanced and compassionate care to the people of upstate New York," says Katrina Armstrong, MD, dean of the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, in the press release. "Generations of our students have had access to a unique clinical experience that forever shapes their approach as physicians, and today's announcement will expand that opportunity."

Although the program has started, the organizations' goal is to expand its availability to five days a week. Those affiliated with the program are also considering having doctors alternate between clinical locations at Bassett in Cooperstown and within Columbia University.

Similarly, Sanford Health created a virtual care center in August that aims to assist rural, underserved communities in obtaining access to urgent care, behavioral healthcare, and primary care resources.

The center, slated to open in 2024, will feature workspaces with telehealth technology. In addition to the center, the health system will establish five pilot satellite clinics in areas where healthcare services are especially hard to access.