The telehealth app, C Spire Health, has launched after over two years of development by C Spire and the Center for Telehealth at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Anyone physically located in the state can download the app from the Google Play and Apple App stores to any smartphone that runs either the Android or iOS operating systems – no matter their mobile phone carrier.
After downloading the app and registering for the service, you will be able to make an appointment and connect your smartphone for a live video session with a UMMC clinician. They will be able to evaluate virtually and prescribe treatments for over 20 common illnesses ranging from coughs, colds, the flu and seasonal allergies to headaches, earaches, sore throats and insect bites through the telehealth app.
Following a video appointment, which costs $59 per visit with no insurance necessary, the clinician can send prescriptions directly to a pharmacy located in your area. You can use the service without a contract or long-term commitment, easily add family members to your app profile and are charged only at the end of the video appointment. UMMC clinicians are available Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“For certain ailments, it’s no longer necessary to go to a health care facility. Now, health care can come to the consumer.”
-Hu Meena, C Spire chairman and CEO
“We’re excited about giving consumers more choices to better manage their health care with simple, easy, and convenient solutions,” said Hu Meena, chairman and CEO of C Spire. “Busy families, millennials and people who live in rural areas will greatly benefit from this service.”
Hu said C Spire is delivering the health care solutions of tomorrow today for treatment of minor conditions. “For certain ailments, it’s no longer necessary to go to a health care facility. Now, health care can come to the consumer,” he added.
If a remote clinician determines the consumer is dealing with symptoms from a serious or chronic health condition, the person will be directed to their personal doctor, a primary care physician, specialist or a local hospital emergency room for immediate help.
The app debuts at a time when hospitals and doctors are looking for new, creative ways to address physician shortages, underserved areas and growing consumer demand for more convenient access and treatment for minor health issues and conditions, according to Ryan Kelly, executive director of the Mississippi Telehealth and Rural Health Associations.
A 2015 American Medical Association study that shows almost 75 percent of all doctor, urgent care and emergency room visits are either unnecessary or could be handled safely and effectively via telehealth solutions. “Millennials want family-friendly convenience that saves them time and money. People in rural areas need access,” he said.
Get more information about downloading the C Spire Health app and using the health care service here: