Community Corner
Austin Physicians Appear in National Video: We Are Here For You
Concerned about neglected healthcare and spike in deaths, public service campaign urges patients, "don't neglect your health"
AUSTIN, TX, June 18, 2020 -- Worried about long-term health consequences caused by social distancing and isolation, physicians at Austin Regional Clinic (ARC), Premier Family Physicians(Premier) and Capital Medical Clinic (Capital), joined doctors from more than 80 communities nationwide sounding the alarm to patients through a social media video: “Don’t neglect your health. Make a promise to reach out.” The video is being introduced as part of a national public service campaign -- www.wearehereforyou.us -- urging patients to resume critical healthcare services and allaying their fears of contracting the coronavirus.
Austin doctors teamed up with physicians from across the country and agilon health, an organization that champions the role of independent physicians to create the ‘We are Here for You’ campaign encouraging patients to see their doctors now – before secondary symptoms arise or conditions worsen.
“We are trying to prevent a crisis within a crisis,” says Kevin Spencer, M.D., medical director for Premier Family Physicians, who appears in the national campaign video. “Although seniors are at a heightened risk of contracting Coronavirus, non-COVID19 care should not be overlooked – especially for the elderly and patients with underlying health conditions.”
Find out what's happening in Austinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
History has proven this can happen. During the SARS outbreak in 2002-2004, hospitalizations for diabetic patients plummeted and then skyrocketed afterwards, according to research by two universities in Taiwan and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Medicine. A recent ProPublica article indicates that a rise in at-home deaths may be due to patients with conditions such as heart attacks being unable or unwilling to go to a hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“In pandemics, everyone is vulnerable,” says Kenneth C. Kroll, M.D., a physician with Capital Medical Clinic who appeared in the video. “Our practice has responded to our patients needs with a telehealth transformation. Since mid-March we ramped up our tele-visits so we are able to review their medical conditions and living situations.”
Find out what's happening in Austinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The “We are Here for you” website features content about “telehealth on demand,” virtual annual wellness visits, drive-in telemedicine in parking lots, COVID-19 testing in parking lots and tents, and staggered clinic appointments for patients with Coronavirus symptoms and those with other healthcare needs.
“Primary care physicians went to medical school to take care of patients,” says Dr. Spencer. “We want patients to know we are here for them and we won’t let them down.”
