Years before Dr. Jlyn (Jay-lin) Pritchard established Kinwell’s virtual care clinic, she was an early proponent of online primary care (also known as telehealth). She treated patients over a secure internet connection long before the pandemic made the practice commonplace. “Back in 2017, I was in private practice and keenly interested in the progression of healthcare as it tried to blend technological advances with patient care. I started seeing patients virtually then and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Accessible care
Patients can use virtual care much like in-person primary care—for the treatment of an immediate concern, to care for chronic conditions, or to serve as their primary provider. For patients who regularly visit one of Kinwell’s 16 clinics, virtual care offers a convenient scheduling option in addition to in-person appointments. The main difference for virtual patients is the occasional need to visit a local clinic for lab tests. For providers, virtual care means they are able to see patients from all over Washington who call in from home or work.
“My patients speckle every corner of the state,” said Pritchard. “Some have a clinic around the corner, others are hours away. They live in town homes, apartments, and old farmhouses. I meet their kids, dogs, parakeets, and spouses. I see bedrooms, basements, and bruises.”
Convenient appointments
A typical day for Pritchard might include an urgent consultation from a patient she’s never met before and a routine visit from patients she’s known for years. “One patient lives on the opposite side of Washington but calls me her PCP (primary care provider). She lives in a small mountain town where Kinwell doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar clinic. Because of the accessibility of virtual care, she doesn’t face the typical barriers of time off work and traffic jams.
“Another patient was new to Seattle, having moved there from South America. He needed medications refilled for some chronic conditions. We ordered labs—which he’ll get done at his neighborhood Kinwell clinic—and we filled his needed medications.”
Virtual care for many conditions
While patient locations vary, the variety of care delivered virtually is consistent with in-person primary care. Over the course of a typical day, Dr. Pritchard will treat immediate concerns and chronic conditions.
- For a farmer in a small town with limited access to medical care, Dr. Pritchard was able to address some chronic issues and recommend a home blood-pressure cuff. She will see him again in a month and a Kinwell nurse will check in with him about his blood pressure readings.
- A Texas transplant that lives in the San Juan Islands and, because of the ferry schedule, it was difficult for him to miss work to attend medical appointments on the mainland. Virtual care made it possible to have his chronic issues taken care of and address acute concerns with prescriptions sent to a nearby pharmacy.
- As a mom, Pritchard can understand the pressures of parenting toddlers. For a new mom experiencing depression, she scheduled for her an appointment with a Kinwell behavioral health clinician for counseling and skills-building.
- A patient in Redmond was referred to Pritchard by another Kinwell clinician for a consultation about menopause hormone therapy. “She’s miserable with hot flashes and hasn’t been able to find adequate relief. We talked for about 40 minutes and came up with a plan to reduce her symptoms and make her more comfortable…one that works for both her schedule and her life.”
The joy of treating patients virtually
Pritchard appreciates the ability to deliver care to patients when and where they need it. “Kinwell’s virtual clinic is a joy. Throughout the day, I may see an Uber driver who has called between pick-ups, a physician who just got off the night shift, and a patient seeking PReP (pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment for HIV).”
“I love seeing the toddlers waddling in the background or the beloved family dog taking up lap space. I enjoy hearing stories of success and supporting that change. Not every patient can be safely seen virtually, but for me this opportunity to connect infuses humanity and authenticity into the medical experience.”
To schedule an in-person or virtual appointment, call 833-411-5469. Established Kinwell patients can schedule through their MyChart account.
