The "East Alabama NO PBM gang" visited LaFayette two days shy of Christmas to experience the ON MED self service "Doc in a Box" with an additional stop afterwards at nearby Lowe's Pharmacy. We are grateful to be involved with such caring people as Alabama Pharmacists amidst their brave stand against an onslaught of corporate malfeasance by the dastardly Pharmacy Benefits Managers. East Alabama Republican Assembly Members in attendance; Rick Bolt, Greg Roberts, Robert Wilkins, Debbie Roberts, Bill Ellison, Susan Bolt, Chairman John Rice and Chief Jim Doody.
Your friendly, local neighborhood members of the EARA who are super passionate about defending rural healthcare in our communities made the faithful pilgrimage to LaFayette for a guided tour of the Chambers County Community Health and Wellness Center on Ninth Avenue Southwest during the afternoon hours of Monday, December 23rd of 2024. Outstanding yuletide fellowship was enjoyed by all the attendees who first met up at Jack's Family Restaurant for a hot cup of coffee on a chilly day where LaFayette Fire and Emergency Services Chief Jim Doody greeted them with a warm welcome to town. With the dedicated delegation in tow, Chief Jim led the group just down the block to the health center for a truly informative experience.
Located in the same building which had formerly operated as the Chambers County Out-Patient Clinic, the renovated healthcare facility features state of the art medical technology known as the OnMed Telehealth Station. According to a press release posted on the Auburn University Office of Communications and Marketing official website, the futuristic apparatus which is “employed by Auburn’s Rural Health Initiative was developed by Florida-based OnMed to make affordable health care accessible to all. The OnMed care stations provide 85% of the services received in a traditional primary care visit, using best-in-class devices to capture patient vitals. Clinicians are available for extended hours. Patient visits are private, safe and secure, and the care station is automatically cleaned and sanitized for the next patient.” Glass and metal form the structure that could best be described as a large walk-in kiosk that some may imagine to be a spacious ultramodern version of a telephone booth that could have been envisioned long ago in a science fiction film such as 2001: A Space Odyssey or the golden age of television classic cartoon The Jetsons.
Upon entering the soundproof station its glass door closes, locks shut and a high tech tinting effect is employed so as to render itself completely opaque which in turn shields the occupant from any outside visibility thus guaranteeing their privacy. Front and center inside is a massive vertically aligned LCD screen mounted on the interior wall standing before the patient which displays welcome messages that transition into the initial intake video conference with the certified nurse assistant. During that brief assessment the CNA gathers the information needed for the nurse practitioner or medical doctor to conduct the virtual exam once the patient is transferred to them.
Deploying a multitude of medical devices installed inside the station, the guest has their weight measured by a digital scale embedded in the floor that they stand upon. Body temperature, oxygen levels and blood pressure are all monitored during the exam by the installed diagnostic tools as well as high definition cameras that can inspect the ears, throat or skin to detect potential health issues while they are interviewed. Prescriptions can be dispensed onsite with a professional prognosis or sent to the patient’s preferred pharmacy. After exiting the station, intense UV lighting shines on and cleanses the interior surfaces of any viruses, bacteria or other pathogens that may linger.
As the East Alabama Examiner reaches the halfway point of its second year in publication, we thank you our dear readers for supporting critical causes such as rural healthcare and all of the local issues that affect our humble lives so profoundly. Heading in to the brave new world of 2025, we take this time to reflect upon the year that has past and our struggle that lies ahead. We remember the reason for the season, the birth of our savior Jesus Christ, and seek guidance from the lord in doing his work that is pleasing to him in the new year.
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