Starting this summer, St. Joseph Health System will launch a telehealth program to provide access to specialty care for people in remote, underserved regions. The program was developed in partnership with AT&T and Emerge MD.

Using a network of community-based “wellness stations” electronically linked to their Southern California hospitals, St. Joseph’s proposed program will allow specialty physicians to teleconference with patients from remote sites. Construction of the electronic infrastructure for these wellness stations is underway at various locations. The five sites selected for rollout include Occupational Health Services at St. Jude Heritage in Fullerton; Camino Health Clinic in San Juan Capistrano; St. Jude Neighborhood Clinic in Fullerton; Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach; and a stand-alone telehealth kiosk in Apple Valley that will be located in a strip mall or similar commercial location.

“It’s our goal to extend beyond our hospital walls to provide better access to care, particularly specialty care where it hasn’t been available before,” said Elliot Sternberg, MD, St. Joseph’s executive vice president for wellness and health improvement.

The telehealth program at St. Joseph will be one of the largest ever launched in the state.