‘Connectivity Matters’: Teladoc Exec Shares Tips for Health Care Crises

Health systems are no strangers to crisis. Whether it’s a natural disaster, cybersecurity breach or workforce shortage, the ability to respond effectively can make all the difference. Having virtual care options at the ready can help ensure care continuity during disruptions, according to Andy Puterbaugh, president of hospitals and health systems at Teladoc Health.

Speaking at Newsweek‘s virtual panel on February 13, titled “Crisis Management: A Crash Course for Health Care Leaders,” Puterbaugh emphasized the need to prepare for crisis scenarios. Crises often strike without warning and require an immediate, coordinated response.

“All of this wraps together with a well-understood activation process and knowing the roles and responsibilities of your business continuity and disaster recovery team,” Puterbaugh said.

While tabletop exercises may seem like a burden in the moment, they are essential for pulling off an effective response when the time comes. “They come at the most inopportune times,” according to Puterbaugh, “but boy, they do matter.”

Teladoc Health—a telemedicine platform with provider partners around the country—has been at the forefront of virtual care, leveraging technology to bridge gaps in crisis response. When hurricanes hit the South last fall, telehealth became a critical tool in providing ongoing care.

“We were able to scale rapidly, running about 25,000 remote visits during the recovery period,” Puterbaugh said. However, connectivity challenges proved to be a major hurdle.

“We don’t always know where the next crisis is coming from, whether it’s environmental, cyber-related or even cosmic considerations,” Puterbaugh said. “But for us, specifically, bandwidth matters. Connectivity matters.”

In past disasters, Teladoc Health has turned to cellular backups and even satellite-based systems like Starlink to ensure continued care delivery. Whether dealing with California wildfire evacuations or pandemic lockdowns, health systems must be prepared to give care remotely.

“The good news is that [COVID-19] stimulated all of us to really leverage virtual care as a cornerstone,” he said. “When we’re embedded with our customers—and we’re serving about 60 percent of the top 100 hospitals and health systems—our ability to scale workflows inside and outside the four walls is a very rapid process.”

As health systems look ahead, Puterbaugh believes workforce shortages and rapid turnover will continue to be major challenges that virtual care could help mitigate.

“The [American Hospital Association] has called [the state of the health care] workforce a national emergency,” he said. “Do we believe that? Is employee burnout, mental health and stress something we need to address more aggressively? I think the answer is yes.”

Puterbaugh left the audience with a clear takeaway from the discussion. “Virtual care is part of modern care delivery,” he said. “It’s now embedded in everything that we’re doing, so we just have to make sure we’re focusing on the right things.”