Are you taking care of your mental health?
Horizon Health Care’s behavioral health services are here to help you live your best life — inside and out.
With TeleHome technology, we’re able to provide care and support for the many individuals that are experiencing distress from the comfort of their own homes.
Additionally, we’re leveraging other new technologies thanks to grant funding from USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program and the Horizon Health Foundation. Our Foundation collaborated with South Dakota telecommunication companies to support Horizon’s proposed Emergent Medical, BehavioRal, and Acute CarE Telehealth Project (EMBRACE).
Investments from SD telecommunications companies coupled with this USDA grant all support our EMBRACE TeleHealth Project, benefiting rural mental health during these challenging times.
New Technologies Leveraged to Support Patient Care During COVID-19 Pandemic
In December 2019, Horizon received a grant from USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program to improve and expand the delivery of telehealth services across South Dakota.
The grant was provided in addition to matching funds from six South Dakota telecommunication based companies, including: Alliance Communications, Golden West Telecommunications, West River Cooperative, Midstate Communications, Interstate Telecommunications Coop., and SDN Communications.
The grant provided funding for technologies to integrate primary and behavioral health care, as well as to improve the availability of acute care services for patients.
When the grant was written in summer 2019, the possibility of a pandemic was not part of our planning, but Horizon has been able to respond to and meet the challenges of providing care to patients at their home thanks to the investment of technology supported by the EMBRACE Telehealth Project.
“Horizon was evaluating use of Cisco’s WebEx platform to support the delivery of real-time integrated care as a part of the EMBRACE project. When the delivery model for care had to change due to the pandemic, Horizon’s use of WebEx shifted. In addition to using the technology to support integrated care within our clinics, we are also using WebEx to take care of patients from their homes.”
– Scott Weatherill, Chief Information Officer at Horizon Health Care
At this time, Horizon’s behavioral health team is exclusively seeing patients from their homes using both the WebEx solution and telephone visits.
History of Providing Telehealth Health Services
Horizon has been an industry leader in the use of telehealth since 2002, when the organization first began to invest resources in the development of a telehealth network.
Now, with 32 medical and dental clinics across rural South Dakota, Horizon leverages video technology to provide patient care and to connect its team for meetings and professional development.
Contact Us for a Virtual Behavioral Health Appointment
TeleHome is a great option for behavioral health needs. Contact your Horizon clinic to set up an appointment and take care of your mental health.