UR Medicine partners with banks to deploy telehealth stations

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — The University of Rochester Medical Center (UR Medicine) has launched an initiative to bring telehealth services to rural communities by partnering with local banks.

UR Medicine has teamed up with Five Star Bank, a subsidiary of Financial Institutions, Inc., to install virtual care stations at select bank branches in rural areas of New York state.

“Local banks and health care providers are trusted institutions – bringing them together to reach more people and to deliver more care makes perfect sense,” said Derek Streat, CEO of DexCare, a partner in the initiative, per Fierce Healthcare.

The pilot project currently serves three rural communities with limited healthcare providers, where many residents lack reliable internet access at home. 

According to UR Medicine, with 15% of the U.S. population living in rural areas and more than 10% living in poverty, modernizing how care is accessed is critical to improving long-term health delivery.

The health stations allow users to measure health indicators like blood pressure and obesity risk. They can reach out to UR Medicine providers through virtual appointments facilitated by DexCare’s platform.

Another partner, Higi, has installed telehealth-enabled smart health stations at three Five Star Bank locations.

“Our capability to bring virtual care to patients went mainstream when needs arose during the pandemic,” said Michael Hasselberg, UR Medicine’s chief digital health officer. 

“This pilot is the next evolution, bringing telemedicine to those who may lack access to technology at home,” he noted, per Becker’s Health IT.