Intermountain Healthcare and United Way of Salt Lake, in partnership with Promise South Salt Lake, have introduced a telehealth kiosk at the Columbus Center in Salt Lake City.

Meant to provide medical care to under-served populations, the kiosk allows residents to gain access to healthcare for low-level urgent care conditions through Intermountain Connect Care. The telehealth service, while already available on mobile devices, takes an additional step with the kiosk as diagnostic tools such as a blood pressure cuff and otoscope.

“The physical kiosk will be greatly beneficial for residents as they use the facilities at the Columbus Center,” said William Daines, MD, medical director of Connect Care. “The diagnostic tools that are part of the kiosk enrich the care that patients can receive. But this partnership also serves as a point of education, where volunteers will work with residents to ensure they have access whenever they need urgent care by helping them download the app or sign up on the website so they can use it from home as well.”

The kiosk was donated by Intermountain’s on-demand telehealth partner, American Well. Connect Care costs around $10 a visit for many insurance plans and could be as low as $3 a visit for patients covered by Medicaid. Additionally, Columbus Center representatives are able to work with patients who are unable to pay for the cost of care by connecting them to Intermountain Healthcare.

“We are always looking for ways to better meet the healthcare needs of the communities we serve, and telehealth offers a unique opportunity to provide low cost care in a way that is flexible and always available,” said Mikelle Moore, senior vice president of Community Health at Intermountain Healthcare.