If the age of the coronavirus pandemic could be summed up in one sentence, it would read, “The world has changed – forever”. Who knew that face masks would become a part of regular attire, or that terms such as “sheltering in place”, “essential workers”, and “social distancing” would become part of our everyday vocabulary?

 

Indeed, the universe has transformed in ways human beings never thought possible. For almost six months now, large gatherings in the City have been cancelled, indoor dining is prohibited, and sporting events are being held in empty venues.

 

Of course, no other industry sector has been more impacted by the coronavirus than the health care sector. Here too, outside of the hospitals and nursing homes which became the epicenters of the pandemic, healthcare centers also had to learn how to adapt to the new normal. Patients were suddenly instructed to avail of Telehealth services, where possible, rather than visit their healthcare providers in person, all in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.

 

This compulsory shift, in both mindset and procedure, has inadvertently spawned at least one innovative collaboration in healthcare provision, and is gathering momentum across the country. A promising partnership has developed between Union Community Health Center (UCHC), based in the Bronx, and a federal student-led nonprofit called Telehealth Access for Seniors (TAFS), which launched in March 2020.

 

As a concept, Telehealth is the provision of health-related services by electronic means using telecommunication technologies. It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring, and remote admissions. It is also the name of an app. TAFS, on the other hand, is a nonprofit comprising high school, college, graduate, and gap year student volunteers who collect various camera-enabled (smart) devices, and distribute them to the elderly and others so that they can access Telehealth services remotely and safely.

 

Aware of the direction in which the planet was moving as the pandemic unfolded, employees at UCHC, located at 260 East 188th Street in the West Bronx, were concerned about how the local elderly population would manage during the mandatory shelter-in-place period. Indeed, of the many groups impacted by the statewide stay-at-home order, senior citizens are probably the most affected. In an effort to meet social distancing requirements, they were encouraged by health professionals and by family members to stay at home due to being extra susceptible to the virus.

 

Luz Correa is vice president of government and community affairs at UCHC. “We were faced with this crisis, this very unexpected health care crisis,” she said. “I mean it was a crisis on all kinds of levels, because it was an economic crisis, it was a mental health crisis, and definitely a health care crisis.” Correa said the center had to basically reinvent itself overnight to adapt and find new ways to care for its patients. It went from seeing 750 patients a day pre-pandemic, to not seeing almost anyone once the shutdown went into effect.

 

“Our patient volume decreased 85 percent overnight,” Correa said, referring to outpatient visits. “You know, we were very much in agreement [with public health policy] and encouraged our patients to stay home. We made our best efforts to call in all of our staff. It was an all-hands-on-deck effort to get our staff to reach out to our patients by phone, and let them know that we were here, and that we were still open.”

 

In fact, UCHC was already in the process of implementing some new technological initiatives for their patients when the coronavirus hit New York. “We had to kind of hurry up and ramp up those efforts during the pandemic,” said Correa. This entailed setting their patients up with telephonic services, ramping up their telemedicine service, and creating a new virtual care environment, all while continuing to see some patients who still came into the center because they thought they were potentially COVID positive or were looking to get tested.

 

“During the height of the pandemic here in the Bronx, I received a call from Max Ackerman at Telehealth Access for Seniors sometime back in April,” Correa said. Ackerman outlined what 315 college student volunteers at TAFS were doing with their new, impressive non-profit, and how they were also actively fundraising to support it.

 

Acting as a liaison, TAFS essentially fills a void by connecting marginalized people who, for whatever reason, do not ordinarily have the means to access Telehealth services, with the necessary electronic devices to do just that. The students collect old or used smart devices from donors, while also purchasing new devices through fundraising efforts. So far, the nonprofit has raised $70,000. They then distribute the devices, which range from Amazon Fire 7 tablets to iPads and cell phones, to those who need them.

 

The group also creates, translates, and distributes accompanying user guides which explain device set-up, FaceTime use, WiFi connection, online pharmacy and grocery ordering, and more. All of the devices contain instruction manuals written in both English and Spanish. Since many recipients of the devices are seniors and not tech savvy, the students explain how to use the various features, like texting and video chat. In addition, the students operate a live technical support helpline to help seniors navigate any additional technical issues.

 

“It was almost like an answer to some prayers that we had made about our population being able to access, or gain access, to digital device[s],” Correa said. Equipping patients who might not otherwise have had electronic devices gave Correa and her colleagues more access to their patients, albeit remotely, and vice versa.

 

Aside from assisting the elderly, TAFS also caters to residents from low-income communities. “These devices are used to help patients with medical needs, so this was wonderful,” Correa said. An added bonus is that not only are seniors able to connect virtually with their physicians, but they are able to connect with a range of other important people in their lives as well, including friends and family members, reducing the mental health strain of the shutdown on seniors.

Correa said she immediately asked Ackerman how they could partner with TAFS. “He told me it was as simple as just saying ‘yes’, and so, that is how the relationship came about,” she said. UCHC is the first health partner that TAFS has worked with in the Bronx. In fact, the nonprofit just recently expanded its programs in the City, in addition to operating at various locations in upstate New York, on Long Island, and across the nation.

 

TAS representatives are excited to work with UCHC to further the group’s reach, and better service a borough that is under-serviced when it comes to internet connectivity and access to electronic devices. Indeed, during the City’s Census 2020 preparation in 2019, City Comptroller Scott Stringer issued a report that showed that close to one third of the City’s residents did not have regular, reliable internet access. The pandemic merely highlighted this deficiency, as evidenced by the thousands of laptops that were subsequently issued to students to facilitate online learning once the schools closed.

 

Abe Baker-Butler is the national recruitment coordinator and New York lead at TAFS. “We are honored to be able to help in any way we can,” he said. “Donating these devices is so meaningful because the pandemic is far from over. We think about the elderly people who don’t have access to these devices. They don’t have access to any sort of internet connection, and therefore cannot engage in the virtual activity that we [a younger demographic] are doing [sic]. We have seen the increases in loneliness, depression and suicide during this crisis, and having that ability to connect virtually is going to be really beneficial for a lot of people.”

 

Baker-Butler explained the group’s workflow to date. First, they collect the devices, then, they make sure they work and they clean them. They then get chargers for them and install the necessary TeleHealth software. At that point, they partner with local providers like UCHC who advise them where there is a demonstrated need, either through serving a large number of elderly patients, or serving a large number of low-income patients. “We leave it up to the providers to determine which patients are most in need,” he said. Later, they’re packaged into boxes, donor recipients are identified and they are duly delivered.

 

Being proactive with their outreach efforts is also helping to raise awareness about the non-profit’s core work. “All those volunteers reach out to their friends, their family, their parents, their work colleagues, and their school,” Baker-Butler said.

 

Regarding the collection process, he said they look for old devices. “Many people have one or two old phones laying around, and they don’t know what to do with them, so we collect those devices,” he said. As of July 8, the non-profit has donated 1,000 devices to people in need at various different locations. They expect to give more away in the future, in batches of 36, as part of a series of organized events which they plan to hold in conjunction with UCHC.

 

Meanwhile, Correa said UCHC has started to identify some target patients who would benefit from TAFS’s outreach. “We’re trying to establish the workflow to get the devices to them, to set up the education that they’re going to need,” she said. She anticipates seeing patients with the actual devices in their hands, and using the virtual app very soon. They are currently in the process of pinning down some dates for the target events.

 

Studies show that virtual connectivity between seniors and doctors has proven beneficial, especially for seniors suffering from chronic conditions that require continuous monitoring and care. The Telehealth app, streamed through an electronic device, includes both audio and visual connectivity, keeping senior patients engaged with their doctors, and offsetting the risk of COVID-19 infection following a physical doctor’s visit.

 

With a second wave of COVID-19 expected in the fall, the telehealth system will be highly conducive to patients’ needs, allowing them to receive their medication from online pharmacies. Their prescriptions will also be delivered to their doorstep. Additionally, through the telehealth app, patients will be able to plan real time consultations with their physicians, albeit virtually. Indeed, the partnership between UCHC and TAFS is expected to provide patients with even more options in the future.

 

Anyone interested in supporting the nonprofit can visit their website, telehealthforseniors.org. It includes a link to where people can donate devices, start a collection, or donate directly via their GoFundMe page.

 

For their part, the team at UCHC strongly encourages anyone with extra electronic devices lying around at home to stop by any of their facilities where people can also drop off old devices. Alternatively, for anyone interested in helping out patients financially, donations to assist with patients’ healthcare costs can be made via UCHC’s website, uchcbronx.org.

 

“We know that a lot of people need health care, and despite our best efforts, some might be going on without it,” Correa said. “We’re talking about chronically ill patients, those with diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma.” She said a lot of parents weren’t bringing their kids in to the center during the pandemic, so they were skipping their immunizations. Correa stressed that all members of all communities need the same access to health care services, when it’s needed.

 

“The only barrier to it might be that you don’t have a device, or you don’t have connectivity,” Correa said. “So, we’re trying to break down those barriers with relationships, like the one that we’ve established with TeleHealth Access for Seniors. We will be looking to apply for as much funding, or look[ing] for as many partners that can help us break down these barriers.”

 

*Síle Moloney provided additional reporting to this story.