Scaling Up Telehealth: What Providers Need to Know

Telehealth isn’t new at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, but it has quickly become essential as staff adapt to increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a single week, the daily number of virtual outpatient visits soared from 20 to 400 — and surpassed 600 soon after, said Kadambari Beelwar, the California hospital’s telehealth manager. The spike has underscored the value of Lucile Packard’s ongoing virtual care expansion and a game plan to pivot quickly to meet public health needs.

As more providers increase telehealth services, the experience of Lucile Packard suggests four tips to scale quickly.