Nemours, which owns the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, along with major pediatric specialty clinics in Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, said it will offer free telehealth consultations to children affected by Hurricane Irma.

Families who need to access healthcare now have free access to Nemours’ pediatricians through a smartphone, tablet or desktop. Nemours CareConnect, the telehealth service, began offering the complimentary visits to families anywhere in Florida on Sept. 8.

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“Children do not wait for the storm to pass and the roads to clear to get sick, it can happen at any time,” said Carey Officer, administrator of telehealth for Nemours Children’s Health System. “Now Nemours CareConnect will be there to help at no cost to families. At Nemours, our passion is caring for children, and this technology allows us to do it even in the most challenging weather.”

Telemedicine vendors also are stepping up and offering free telehealth visits. LiveHealth Online, a mobile app and website that offers consumers telehealth consultations with physicians and psychologists for non-emergency health conditions, is making access to live doctor visits and psychology visits available at no charge for the people of Florida affected by Hurricane Irma through Dec. 31.

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Telemedicine services provider Doctor On Demand and healthcare technology start-up EpicMD also are offering victims of Hurricane Irma free telehealth consultations. EpicMD is seeking organizations in Florida to partner with to disperse free consultations.

In addition to offering web and mobile app access, Nemours is setting up CareConnect consoles at two Orange County shelters. Should families there need to access pediatric care, they can do so for free.

Last month, Nemours offered complimentary visits on CareConnect to families in Texas impacted by Hurricane Harvey, as did the aforementioned telemedicine vendors.

Twitter: @SiwickiHealthIT
Email the writer: bill.siwicki@himssmedia.com