A local health care system is making it easier to see the doctor following Hurricane Florence. Cone Health is offering free virtual visits until the end of the month.
Here's how it works: a patient logs in online, registers, chooses a provider and can then either schedule an appointment or be connected to a doctor within minutes.
The service began in April of 2016, and Charisse Hutcherson with Cone Health says they see between 100 and 150 virtual visits a month. With many North Carolinians displaced by Hurricane Florence, Hutcherson says people might not be able to get to a doctor.
“That's why we've offered this as an option for free to people that have been displaced from the coast, because we know stress does terrible things to your body and sometimes you need care and it's not available to you,” she says.
An appointment usually takes about 15 minutes on phone or video conference. It can cover common conditions like allergies, flu, and upper respiratory infections.