Telemedicine for Behavioral Health
Baptist Health Corbin: Telemedicine for Behavioral Health
Licensed clinical social worker and counselor Christopher Holcomb describes how Baptist Health uses telemedicine to provide counseling services to youth and adults in Corbin.
Telemedicine for Behavioral Health Health Talks Transcript
Christopher Holcomb, LCSW/LCADC, Behavioral Health
At Baptist Health Corbin, we started providing psychiatric services in 1974. Since that time, we have been able to grow and expand our service line. We currently offer a multitude of inpatient programs that focus on adolescents, as well as adults. Using the newest technology, telemedicine is a way to provide connectivity between two locations. We have incorporated the field of Behavioral Health as a way for patients to see a psychiatrist or a nurse practitioner for evaluations and medication management. A lot of patients are initially reluctant to try telemedicine services. However, most of them walk away with a positive experience after the fact and feel the provider has been more engaging to their needs during that time frame. It is a way that can be more engaging for certain patients and it’s also a way to have a network of providers throughout the state and various locations as opposed to having them all in one location. I do feel we are providing better service using telemedicine. It is a way that individuals can have different access points to inner treatment and be able to get in to see a provider faster than waiting for the traditional face-to-face appointment. Our goal is to provide comprehensive services, which in turn will improve the overall health of individuals in our community.
