Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin Adopts Telemedicine Program

Because of high patient volumes, Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin is now offering patients the option to see a board-certified psychiatrist with Texas Tech Physicians of Lubbock through telemedicine services.

“Telemedicine is the optimum use of technology to access psychiatric care,” said Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, Bobby Jain, M.D. “It’s perfectly suitable for the 22 counties of West Texas where the need for psychiatric care outnumbers the available psychiatrists in this area.”

Patients who utilize the telemedicine service will come to Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin for their appointment and then speak live with a psychiatrist located in Lubbock through a computer monitor. Any lab work ordered by the physician will be completed onsite at Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin.

“We are opening a new frontier by providing mental health services through telemedicine to our most needed rural population,” said Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) at the Permian Basin Regional Dean Gary Ventolini, M.D. “Our experienced team will certainly contribute to counseling, prevention and therapy of mental conditions to improve the health of the Permian Basin community.”

TTUHSC has one of the longest running telemedicine programs in the nation, with health care providers seeing between 450 to 500 patients per month remotely. The Department of Psychiatry telemedicine program is the first of its kind to be offered by TTUHSC in the Permian Basin. In addition, telehealth can help as 32 million more Americans become insured as mandated by the Affordable Care Act. The program was created as a project grant funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 1115 Waiver program.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin at (432) 620.5800.

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