UPIC Health Offers Video Telebehavioral Health Service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Juli Briskman
Phone: 703 772-1148
Email: juli@UPICHealth.com
Twitter: @UPICHealth

UPIC Health Offers Video Telebehavioral Health Service

[Chantilly, Va.]  June 19, 2018  —  In response to the country’s mental health crisis and what we have learned from more than 1 million patient interactions annually, UPIC Health is adding telebehavioral health service that can serve the most at-risk patients and set them on the path to wellness.

The scalable video social work (VSW) platform connects patients with counselors, licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), and other providers through a pioneering automated video distribution system. This ensures that patients in crisis will not have to wait when they are most in need of counseling.

“Not only will our team be available during scheduled visits,” said UPIC Health CEO Mary Tucker. “But if a patient is in immediate crisis and their counselor is unavailable, a secondary counselor is only seconds away as they will be seamlessly routed to support through this service.”

Against the backdrop of a mental health crisis in this country, from teen suicide to mass shootings to new revelations of abuse against women, it’s clear that women and teens are especially vulnerable when it comes to access, Tucker added.  

“In addition to this, we have a serious gap in available providers from internists to primary care doctors to psychiatrists. The UPIC VSW will help fill the gap in care while also bringing more efficiency to the process” Tucker said. “We also know that youth and seniors alike are ready and willing to take advantage of this technology as long as it’s offered in an efficient accessible mode.”

More than 90 percent of the country’s youth want full electronic two-way communication with their provider, a recent study by Jefferson Health reports.  Also, nearly nine out of 10 adults ages 40 and older said they would be comfortable using at least one type of telemedicine for themselves or an aging loved one, another recent study found.

The service will initially serve women and teens but UPIC expects to serve additional populations including those in the grip of addiction and the elderly.

UPIC has partnered with One Touch Video Chat to build the UPIC Video Connect mobile service and licensed their video telehealth platform.

“We very excited to work together with UPIC Health to take down the geographic and income barriers to reaching a behavioral health provider.  The video telebehavioral mobile app allows convenience, access, and engagement,” notes One Touch Video Chat’s COO, Carrie Chitsey Wells.  

This is a natural progression of UPIC’s Meaningful Engagement in Care model where patients can access services without leaving the home or office, a business model UPIC has pioneered since its inception in 2014.  Already UPIC serves patients in 15 states and this new remote access application will aid in expanding the organization’s reach.

Pilot programs are in the works and the service soon will be widely available in Apple and Google app stores.

About One Touch Video Chat
One Touch Video Chat provides everything you need throughout the video chat journey to connect to today’s digital patients. One Touch Video Chat’s SaaS video telehealth platform allows healthcare providers to engage at patient’s convenience through your website and/or mobile apps. For more information, visit www.otvideochat.com or media contact, Carrie Chitsey Wells, at 512-717-9820 or carrie@otvideochat.com.

About UPIC
UPIC Health is a mid-size, privately-held company with operations in Chantilly and Norfolk, Virginia.  UPIC is a business process outsourcer offering patient communications services, revenue cycle management, and telebehavioral health services to clients across the country, all practicing under the value-based reimbursement concept.  UPIC is a 2018 Velocity Growth Award Winner and Growth Story of the Year. To learn more, visit our website at www.upichealth.com or email Chief Marketing Officer, Juli Briskman at juli@upichealth.com. Follow us @UPICHealth.

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New BRAWS Partnership Aids Local Women Who Need It Most

As it was Women’s Health Month,  May was a great time to launch UPIC’s partnership with an organization that collects sanitary products, bras, and underwear and delivers them to women and teens in need.

UPIC employees in Norfolk and Chantilly, Va. collected items for Virginia-based  BRAWS (Brings Resources to Aid Women’s Shelters) and visited a local shelter to help distribute them.

When UPIC learned about BRAWS’ mission and that some women in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties were missing school, interviews, and other appointments because they did not have supplies, we knew immediately the organization aligns with our mission of Meaningful Engagement in Care and the support of women.

“Our employees were really thoughtful about the items they donated, understanding that functioning to our full potential as women requires confidence,” said Chief Marketing Officer, Juli Briskman.  “It’s hard to feel confident when using products that are not comfortable or wearing undergarments that don’t fit correctly.”

Four UPIC volunteers met BRAWS organizers at the Loudoun Emergency Homeless Shelter on May 23 to find everything pre-organized into size bins.  And bags had been compiled for women that had already signed up for the event and given their sizes.

Unfortunately for us, many of the women were working.  But we were glad to hear they were at work and would be able to pick up their “orders” when they got back to the shelter.  The women we did meet were very thankful for the items, tried some on, and left with several bags of goodies.

Many of the female residents and their families have been recently displaced by the housing crisis. And Loudoun County, which has the highest U.S. median income, has seen a surge in homelessness for singles and families, according to the Loudoun Times-Mirror.

Donations collected in Chantilly, Va.

During Hard Times, Feminine Care Drops in Priority

Basic necessities such as a well-fitting bra or sanitary products are not easy to come by for much of the population. Poverty rates are higher for  U.S. women than men.  And over half of the 37 million Americans living in poverty,  are women, according to the Center for American Progress. In combination with the prevailing wage gap and Pink Taxes,  undergarments and feminine products can quickly drop to the bottom of any priority list.

Donations collected in the Norfolk, Va. office

BRAWS  has stepped in to fill this gap, working alongside shelters, such as New Hope Housing, Thrive DC, and Doorways for Women and Families (among many others). BRAWS operates several drop-off sites and has a pickup service by appointment.  To learn more, visit the website.


Author Jessica Lay is UPIC’s Program Lead for UPICares, the organization’s philanthropic initiative.  She spends half of her time assisting patients through UPIC’s contact center and recently completed a degree in Aging Services Management. Follow us @UPICHealth.

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