Telehealth and RPM Help St. John's Reduce Healthcare Disparities

Even before St. John's Well Child and Family Center in Los Angeles had the resources to provide large-scale COVID-19 testing, it was clear that its service area of South L.A. and Compton would be at significantly higher risk for COVID-19 infection and complications than other areas of L.A. County.

"Adoption of new technology among members of the communities we serve is slow due to varying levels of technological literacy – especially among older patients – and extremely limited resources," said Jim Mangia, president and CEO of St. John's Well Child & Family Center.

"Reimbursement for telehealth services also was a concern, since the federal government did not issue any guidance at the beginning of the pandemic, though it has since permitted billing of primary care telehealth services," Mangia said.