Partnering Through a Pandemic: Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center Launches Innovative Telehealth Service Amid COVID-19
In an effort to provide the highest level of veterinary care amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) at New Bolton Center announced the launch of a new, innovative telehealth service for large animals.
The service offers both teleconsultations, allowing on-site veterinarians in the field to collaborate with New Bolton Center specialists to address patient needs, as well as telemedicine appointments, enabling New Bolton Center Field Service veterinarians to conduct ‘virtual visits’ with patients while following best practices of social distancing.
“The COVID-19 environment has challenged us to rethink how we can continue to deliver an exceptional level of care to our clients and our community,” said Dr. Barbara Dallap Schaer, Hospital Director for Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center. “While we continue to provide vital, in-person care for emergency and urgent cases at New Bolton Center’s hospital, our telehealth capabilities will bridge any physical disconnect felt during this time to offer care to those who need it most. We want to be there for people.”
By relying on a suite of teleconferencing software, mobile cameras, and rapid file-exchange systems, New Bolton Center’s veterinary specialists can provide real-time support, evaluation, and guidance to on-site veterinarians. The on-site veterinarians can then use the information to diagnose and treat their patient in-person.
New Bolton Center’s telehealth experts are also available to help on-site veterinarians integrate telemedicine tools into their own practices, enabling them to provide care to their own patients without the need for physical, in-person contact.
For large animal owners, New Bolton Center’s Field Service veterinarians will implement the same clinical skills utilized in person to conduct an examination through the teleconferencing platform.
“Our new telehealth service not only has risen to meet the challenge of providing life-saving veterinary care safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has opened up endless opportunities for the future,” added Dr. Cristobal Navas de Solis, assistant professor of cardiology/ultrasound and internal medicine at New Bolton Center.
“These tools offer tremendous implications for collaborating with other veterinarians, and even delivering care to remote or underserved locations, in ways that we have never been able to before,” added Navas de Solis.
New Bolton Center is currently offering teleconsultations with on-site, referring veterinarians at no cost. For more information about New Bolton Center’s telehealth services or to make an appointment, visit www.vet.upenn.edu/newbolton-telehealth.
New Bolton Center’s hospital remains open for any veterinary emergency and medically necessary cases. If you are experiencing a veterinary emergency, call 610-444-5800.
