Optimist
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Features
    • Book Review
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Podcasts
    • Optimist Overtime
    • Top of the Key
  • Police Log
  • Print Edition
  • Projects
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
You are here: Home / News / Online wildcat care appointments offered for free

Online wildcat care appointments offered for free

September 9, 2018 by Allison Harrell

The Medical and Counseling Center implemented a comprehensive telehealth program, offering four free online medical and counseling appointments to enrolled undergraduate students per semester, making ACU the first in the nation to do so.

Beginning in January 2018, MACC partnered with TimelyMD to launch a telehealth program for students to receive virtual, on-demand medical care called Wildcat Care. In mid-September, Wildcat Care is also expanding to offer on-demand virtual counseling. Luke Hejl, founder and CEO of TimelyMD, said the beginning of the partnership with ACU started through administration.

“The idea started with conversations through ACU administration,” Hejl said. “Our primary object was to provide students at ACU with easier access to healthcare.”

TimelyMD has played a major role in equipping ACU to reach the student population for needs of healthcare from a larger platform. Chris Clark, co-founder of TimelyMD, also said the company’s goals through Wildcat Care include reaching all of the student body.

“We are excited to see how we can improve the overall health of the students,” Clark said. “We love hearing the stories of students getting help faster or having the ability to access medical care in a more timely manner.”

Undergraduate students attending ACU are eligible for four live, online video consultations with a certified medical provider without cost each semester. The service is convenient and available 24/7. Cindy Gravitt, Practice Manager at ACU Medical Clinic, said the new program and will offer ACU a variety of benefits.

“The reason we added the option of Telehealth is because we didn’t have a good solution for nights and weekends,” Gravitt said. “Obviously, the clinic can’t stay open 24/7, and the only other option was for students to have to go to an expensive urgent care facility or an E.R. We wanted to provide more access to medical care in Abilene at a reasonable price, and our hope is that we will keep students from having to make any unnecessary urgent care or E.R. visits.”

Within the first 90 days of implementation, Wildcat Care increased campus healthcare utilization by 30 percent and, of the total Wildcat Care visits, 26 percent occurred after-clinic hours or on weekends. The biggest benefit of Wildcat Care was shown during the 2017-18 flu season, when the virus reported at ACU went down by 15 percent as more students sought timely care and virtual visits.

“We feel like it has increased access to students for them to get care, especially during peak seasons of illness on campus,” Gravitt said.

While all undergraduates have access to Wildcat Care medical and counseling visits at no cost, graduate students can opt into the Wildcat Care telehealth program for a fee of $95 per semester. ACU online students can also opt-in for a set rate per term. In-clinic visits are now only $10 for students.

“Visits last year used to be $40, so for students it is a lot less expensive than it was before and it is by far less expensive than going to a provider in the community,” Gravitt said. “We only exist to serve students in the ACU community. So to do that best, we wanted to remove any barrier that would delay care and prevent students from coming in.”

Filed Under: News

Other News:

  • Research festival shifts to virtual

  • Student arrested on child porn charge

  • ACU to join Western Athletic Conference in July

Avatar

About Allison Harrell

You are here: Home / News / Online wildcat care appointments offered for free

Other News:

  • Research festival shifts to virtual

  • Student arrested on child porn charge

  • ACU to join Western Athletic Conference in July

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

acuoptimistThe Optimist@acuoptimist·
9h

"We need to start taking steps toward understanding each other no matter how repulsed we may be initially." Read more from Managing Editor Dillon Daniel below:
https://acuoptimist.com/2021/01/to-achieve-unity-we-need-to-start-listening/

Reply on Twitter 1351990382385479682Retweet on Twitter 1351990382385479682Like on Twitter 13519903823854796822Twitter 1351990382385479682
acuoptimistThe Optimist@acuoptimist·
19 Jan

"Lack of interaction — whether online or in-person — leads to lack of connections between professors and students." Read more from Guest Columnist Morgen Maltby below:
https://acuoptimist.com/2021/01/quality-online-education-requires-lecturing-and-better-communication/

Reply on Twitter 1351590244966150146Retweet on Twitter 1351590244966150146Like on Twitter 13515902449661501462Twitter 1351590244966150146

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

9 hours ago

The Optimist
"We need to start taking steps toward understanding each other no matter how repulsed we may be initially." Read more from Managing Editor Dillon Daniel below: ...

To achieve unity, we need to start listening - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

There is no question that the current climate among Americans is tense and, as the Capitol Hill and 2020 riots show, even hostile. Although these behaviors have always been present, it seems that the last decade has seen an increase in tribal tendencies. We cling to the ankles of our political candi...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

1 day ago

The Optimist
"Lack of interaction — whether online or in-person — leads to lack of connections between professors and students." Read more from Guest Columnist Morgen Maltby below: ...

Quality online education requires lecturing and better communication - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

With the university handling new forms of teaching in light of COVID-19, many classes have been moved to an online format due to safety for the professors and students. Because of this unexpected transition, fewer guidelines were placed on class procedures. Some professors chose to have weekly Zoom....
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Praise Day Fridays return to campus

Video by Allie Jones. https://youtu.be/4F0D1oNzGjM   ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast – Nov. 5, 2020
  • ACUTV, Optimist preparing for live election show
  • Earliest snowfall recorded in Abilene

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • Weekly Ads
  • Classifieds

© 2021 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved