Juan had been busy keeping up with his hectic schedule – long work hours, going to school at night, and trying to balance his personal and family commitments. Because of this, he had been neglecting his health. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he saw a doctor, even for just a regular check-up.
Juan hadn’t been feeling like himself for a few weeks, but he really didn’t feel like going to the doctor. And, he didn’t have time. Who would he even see? How would he get there? It would likely take a long time to get an appointment anyways. So, he continued to ignore his symptoms, hoping that he’d feel back to his usual self soon.
Then, one morning, he woke up for work and could not get out of bed. He had body aches and pains, a high fever, and severe nausea. In a panic and feeling desperate, he dialed 911.
A paramedic arrived quickly at Juan’s house. He thoroughly examined him and checked his vital signs. The paramedic suspected that it could be COVID-19 and administered a test. Juan was found to be positive for COVID. While he was sick, Juan was otherwise young with no known underlying health risks, so the paramedic deemed that his case was not life-threatening. Rather than transporting him to the hospital and having him admitted to the emergency room, the paramedic called UCM Digital Health for added support.
The paramedic was connected with a UCM physician with extensive prior experience working in the emergency room. The paramedic gave him the background information on Juan’s case and then the physician connected with Juan over video for a consult. The physician determined that Juan would benefit from a liter of fluids and an antiviral medication to treat COVID.
The paramedic immediately administered fluids on the scene. During the video consult, the UCM provider learned that Juan did not have access to transportation to pick up the medication that he prescribed at a pharmacy. The provider relayed this information to the UCM care coordinator and she set up prescription delivery to have the medication sent directly to Juan.
Juan got immediate care, including help addressing his transportation issue when he was sick and in need of care and assistance fast. The UCM team explained to him that he can always rely on UCM Digital Health for his routine care and also for immediate help in emergencies. He was reassured that he no longer needs to avoid getting care with UCM only a phone call or a click away. He now knows that he doesn’t need to rely on 911 when he’s feeling ill.
Juan was feeling better and back at work in no time. His employer was happy to have an employee who avoided the ER and its associated cost, was satisfied with his benefits, healthy, and productive.
