Telehealth: An important notice for all GBMC HealthCare patients

During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health emergency (PHE) declarations at the federal level and in many states made it possible for patients to have appointments with their medical providers remotely via computer, tablet, or smartphone using different platforms like FaceTime or Zoom. Known as “telehealth,” this practice helped people to get medical care and be isolated from others at the same time.

With many PHE declarations due to COVID-19 ending, the rules for telehealth are changing back to what they were before the pandemic. GBMC HealthCare providers can no longer deliver telehealth services to a patient who is physically located outside the state of Maryland.

GBMC HealthCare does continue to offer telehealth appointments, but only to patients physically located in Maryland at the time of the service. Patients who are not physically located in Maryland at the time of the appointment will need to reschedule their visit.

Additionally, telehealth rules require that services be provided using secure platforms that protect the medical information you share. For this reason, all telehealth appointments going forward must be held within GBMC’s patient portal, MyChart. This is also due to the PHE declaration coming to an end, and certain waivers of telehealth rules with it. We understand this may pose some challenges and assure you that our staff members are committed to helping patients navigate their telehealth appointments.

Thank you for being a GBMC HealthCare patient and for your cooperation during these changes.

Sincerely,
John L. Flowers, MD, FACS
Chief Medical Officer – GBMC
President of GBMC Health Partners