Virtual Care Stays True to the Brand at CHRISTUS Health
There are many options for expanding access through virtual care. CHRISTUS Health’s thoughtful approach is guided by its mission, and its recognized brand attracts new patients.
// By Jane Weber Brubaker //
When CHRISTUS Health launched its “On Demand Care” urgent care service in May 2022, some clinicians were concerned about visit erosion from the primary care provider patient base. That didn’t happen.
Jeff Stewart, vice president of strategic marketing, CHRISTUS Health
“Our primary care physicians who were initially skeptical, as you can imagine, have come around to be champions of this because it’s allowed us to keep and grow that volume off hours,” says Jeff Stewart, vice president of strategic marketing for CHRISTUS Health.
On Demand Care improves patient access by expanding hours and days of operation and keeping the price low. The service is available from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., 365 days a year, for patients in Texas and Louisiana, and at $30 self-pay per session and no need for a scheduled appointment, it is affordable and accessible for patients with or without health insurance, overcoming the number-one barrier to access: cost. The providers are CHRISTUS providers.
Speaking of his personal experience using the service when his 10-year-old son needed care, Stewart says, “It was quick. It was easy. It was affordable. And I received caring, compassionate care from a clinician I know is attached to a brand that I recognize for quality and reliability.”
Here, we look at decisions that went into investing in this new service, key considerations in the design process, and how it pays off in unexpected ways.