TELEMEDICINE: WHY RESTRICTIONS WERE REMOVED DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. A METHOD TO PROTECT ALL PATIENTS Dr Kevin Maloney

TELEMEDICINE: STAY HOME AND AVOID GOING TO A HEALTHCARE FACILITY WHENEVER POSSIBLE

When to reopen the office. (FIRST TOYS FOR KIDS)

Many are asking to drop off new toys. I would ask that you hold them and store them at your homes as usual as I do not have enough space to accommodate all of the toys we collect. We will be announcing when we will be giving out the toys as well as re-opening the free medical clinic.

NOW RE/OPENING THE OFFICE. When our government reevaluates the emergency regulations regarding telemedicine restrictions, we will reevaluate and most likely open the office at that time, Monday July 13. So for now let's plan on reopening Monday, July 13. Please read the following.

New York City has opened today; the City with the most coronavirus deaths throughout the world.

In July we will see if there’s a surge of COVID-19 cases in New York city and Westchester county as many county residents commute to the city for work. 400,000 people return to work in New York City today. 22 States are seeing a rise now in coronavirus cases and illnesses as a result of the Memorial Day opening of boardwalks and large gatherings such as that MTV-LIKE pool party we’ve all seen televised.

Many doctors like myself have been seeing patients using telemedicine, 7/days a week without a single day off for months. Believe me, like all of you, I can’t wait to get back to my office and for all things to return to normal. My decision about opening up the office is a group decision, made between myself and all of my patients that I have discussed this with both personally and through our recent ZOOM meetings and all agree to wait.

We all considered the fact that insurance companies have been forced by an EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE BILL TO ENCOURAGE PATIENTS TO SEE DOCTORS USING TELEMEDICINE BY LOWERING THE COST OF DOCTOR VISITS TO PATIENTS BY DOING AWAY WITH ALL CO-PAYS AND IN MANY CASES, DOING AWAY WITH ALL DEDUCTIBLES (e.g.- for all Medicare patients, for any Covid related visit or illness....) IF YOU USE TELEMEDICINE INSTEAD OF GOING TO A DOCTOR’S OFFICE (even approving the medical necessity of using phone calls without video as acceptable).

Disease experts have kept these orders in place, to be reevaluated “July13”

(AGAIN, TO ENCOURAGE ALL TO SEE THEIR DOCTORS USING TELEMEDICINE INSTEAD OF GOING TO THEIR DOCTOR’S OFFICES).

Insurance companies have been “forced "to comply with these rules so that people stay home and most importantly away from doctors' offices, FOR YOUR PROTECTION!!!!

Let’s not all forget that the number of deaths from Covid have dramatically declined because of all of the precautions we have all taken, precautions we should still follow whenever possible.

Hopefully now that the hot weather is here, like the flu, this virus will somewhat dissipate. With the recent demonstrations we will see in three weeks if there is a surge. If not, we will have to wait to see if there is a resurgence of COVID-19 in the fall. In the meantime we should appropriately continue to observe the precautions we have been taking which have been successful in controlling this virus.

BUT, please remember that COVID 19 is still here.

JUST 4 DAYS AGO, using telemedicine, I DIAGNOSED A YOUNG HEALTHY PATIENT OF MINE WITH COVID PNEUMONIA; he had very minor symptoms- mostly fatigue along with a fuzzy feeling in his head and anxiety. He had no cough. He was smart to run it by me, again, contacting me using telemedicine, believing, but not sure if he was suffering from anxiety, and not wanting to take the chance of having something more serious, worried not only about himself but his wife, his parents and his two young children. Even with such minor symptoms I immediately sent him for a chest X-ray, and I received an immediate call from the radiologist informing me that that this patient was suffering from Covid pneumonia (atypical-without the usual symptoms of pneumonia). This was just four days ago. Thank God he is doing well as I continue to treat him using telemedicine while he is self-quarantining at home.

I had another patient of mine taken by ambulance and hospitalized JUST 3 DAYS AGO, with pre-stroke symptoms, after having returned to work after recovering from a serious Covid pneumonia, again which I diagnosed using telemedicine. He was hospitalize just 3 days ago for testing to rule out a stroke, which COVID-19 has been associated with in patients due to increased blood clotting in COVID-19 patients. I’m still testing this patient for a subtle underlying clotting disorder associated with Covid that may not be grossly showing up yet on the brain scans done during his hospitalization, a couple of days ago.

Again, this recovered Covid 19 pneumonia patient of mine is under 50 years old and healthy And, again. it was through telemedicine

that I originally diagnosed this patient with Covid pneumonia by sending him to the ER for a chest x-ray  after a telemedicine visit with me.

Again, telemedicine restrictions have been lifted, for good reason and include even just telephone calls without a video conference, without co-pays and many times deductibles encouraging patients to see their doctors using telemedicine in an effort to continue to control COVID-19.

For that reason I will wait until telemedicine restrictions are lifted before opening up the office to everyone.

This decision is being made by a consensus of opinion of all of the patients I have discussed this with, and the decision is being made entirely for the safety of all of my patients, and not myself. Again, I personally can’t wait to get back to the office. I miss you all but I have to think of what’s best for you all, as is my responsibility as your doctor so please understand that.

For those of you who don’t know, telemedicine appointments are requested by email to DoctorKevinmaloney@gmail.com spelling out the word doctor.  Nancy will get back to you right away. I’ll call you as soon as possible; YOU DON’T NEED TO REQUEST A SPECIFIC TIME FOR THE VISIT. 

I hope that you and your families are all safe and well and let’s conquer this demon together. I can’t wait and hope to see you all very soon. But let’s be smart and intelligent about this. Please don’t hesitate to contact me for anything at all that you need. Again, I’ve been doing this seven days a week for months now, so contact me whenever you need me.

Dr. M