Envision Healthcare Continues Robust COVID-19 Response, Rapidly Deploys Virtual Health Resources to More Than 200 Medical Sites Nationwide

Technology Helps Relieve COVID-19 Strain, Protects Physicians and Clinicians

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Envision Healthcare continues to support physicians and clinicians who are answering the call to care during the COVID-19 crisis and announced today that it has accelerated the deployment of a virtual health platform to more than 200 medical sites across 11 states in recent weeks. Virtual health bolsters Envision’s work to support hospital and health system partners across the country who are trying to protect clinicians and patients and mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

Virtual health enables clinicians to provide treatment and guidance for specialized care with no limitations on location. Physicians and clinicians can evaluate patients who are located in other areas of a medical facility, or their residence. This technology helps alleviate capacity strain in hospitals, allows clinicians to pre-screen patients for COVID19 and preserves necessary personal protective equipment. Additionally, virtual health enables clinicians who are quarantined as a result of COVID-19 exposure and those at high-risk for COVID-19 to continue to deliver patient care.

“Envision clinicians have answered the call to care for patients during this crisis,” said Envision Healthcare President and CEO Jim Rechtin. “They go above and beyond to see as many patients as possible. We will do everything possible to support them and keep them safe and healthy. The more we can do to support our doctors, the better they can care for their patients in communities across the U.S.”

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Envision has quickly deployed its virtual health platform to medical facilities in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. Clinicians using the technology are located in a variety of settings, including in hospitals, office-based practices, urgent care facilities, and post-acute and long-term care settings. In addition to caring for patients and conducting follow-up visits, Envision’s office-based practices are using virtual health to screen patients for COVID-19 and direct them to its drive-thru testing locations when appropriate.

Envision continues to answer America’s call for patient care during the COVID-19 crisis. The organization has already taken a series of actions to respond to sharp increases in COVID-19 patients and protect and support its clinicians on the front lines, including:

• Rapidly mobilizing to meet the need for more physicians and advanced practice providers across the nation. Envision is providing support to Mount Sinai health system and three other hospitals in New York, as well as others in the Greater New York area. Anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists from the anesthesiology provider team are already on the ground to meet unprecedented demand for care. Clinicians will continue to be deployed to address surging hot spots across the country.
• Securing more than 4 million items of PPE, including masks, face shields, gowns, and goggles to support Envision’s clinicians and hospital partners. This PPE is being delivered to areas of greatest need.
• More than 250 Envision surgery centers across the nation are gearing up to provide staff, equipment, and PPE to support local hospitals. These facilities can help care for the surge in patients, provide overflow capacity, and facilitate testing for COVID-19.
• Treating every patient regardless of their ability to pay. Envision has committed to working with all parties to ensure no COVID-19 patient is burdened with unexpected costs. We will not send patients surprise medical bills and will work to ensure patients are only responsible for in-network cost-sharing.