BayCare Opens First Telehealth Kiosk at Local YMCA

Clearwater, FLA., (July 11, 2018) – Could you imagine seeing a doctor while visiting your local YMCA? That idea is becoming a reality through a collaboration between BayCare Health System and the YMCA of the Suncoast.

BayCare and YMCA of the Suncoast teamed up to launch the first BayCare HealthHub™ at the James P. Gills Family YMCA in Trinity, Florida. The HealthHub is a telehealth center where Y members and their families, visitors and the community can receive non-urgent medical care from board-certified physicians through video conferencing and medical diagnostic equipment.

The telehealth kiosk, which features a private room inside the James P. Gills YMCA, is interactive and user-friendly. The technology allows patients to easily enter their symptoms through a touchscreen and work with medical tools such as thermometers, dermatoscopes, otoscopes, pulse oximeter, blood pressure cuffs and high definition cameras to help doctors make an accurate diagnosis.

“We’re proud to be the first health system in the Tampa Bay area to bring high quality health care into a wellness facility using the innovative telehealth technology,” said Jim Cote, senior vice president for Ambulatory Services at BayCare. “This collaboration allows us to make health care more convenient for the local community and provide easier access to care when residents need it.”

The telehealth kiosk at the Y in Trinity opened in June 2018. In the future, the organizations hope to expand to more YMCA centers across the Tampa Bay area.

“This exciting partnership will help us connect members of the community to a dynamic program that will build on our organization’s mission to improve and strengthen the community’s health and well-being,” said G. Scott Goyer, president and CEO at the YMCA of the Suncoast.

This collaboration is part of BayCare’s effort to expand access to high-quality health care to help make life better for the Tampa Bay community. BayCare also recently collaborated with Publix to launch telehealth technology kiosks called Walk-In Care provided by BayCare at 26 in-store Publix Pharmacy locations across the Tampa Bay area. Since its launch, 11 centers have been opened. Fifteen more locations are expected to open by the end of 2018.

About BayCare Health System
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 15 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit www.BayCare.org.

About the YMCA of the Suncoast
As the leading non-profit committed to strengthening community, the Y is a cause-driven, charitable organization that stands for youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. We serve more than 100,000 men, women, and children through eight locations in Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and Pinellas counties. For more information, please visit www.ymcasuncoast.org.