In March 2020, the Centers for Medicare, and Medicaid Services (CMS) removed regulatory barriers to the provision of telehealth services in skilled nursing facilities for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose was to facilitate access to care for these patients as nursing facilities “locked down” to limit potential exposure to the coronavirus. Dr. Meyers will share her experiences during the rapid ramp-up to provide these new services including how it became an opportunity to understand the pros and cons of telehealth to deliver primary care in nursing facility settings. Many older adults in residential care feel trapped because they hear the tragic stories about COVID-19 in long term care facilities. Never has mental healthcare been so vital for residents, yet the bias that psychotherapy isn’t an essential component of health care has increased during the pandemic. Dr. Brose will describe how the psychologists and psychiatrists at Associated Clinic of Psychology have become creative problem solvers in their use of telehealth to continue delivering care to this vulnerable population at this unprecedented time.

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