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Health Care, News, Retailing And Restaurants, Statewide

DRA program offers restaurant workers access to doctors

Katie Tabeling September 18, 2023

The Delaware Restaurant Association Teledoc program provides restaurant workers with telemedicine appointments for $12 a month

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In the community with GOLO, the health and wellness solutions company

Jennifer Brooks July 31, 2023

An advocate for good corporate citizenship and giving back locally, GOLO, the Delaware-based health and wellness solutions company, makes supporting the community a corporate priority. “We have always believed that […]

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Health Care, News, Sussex County

Bayhealth opens new Sussex hybrid facility

Katie Tabeling July 26, 2023

MILTON — Bayhealth has opened its latest facility in Sussex County, a hybrid emergency and primary care center at the intersection of Lewes-Georgetown Highway and Hudson Road earlier this month. […]

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ChristianaCare President and CEO Dr. Janice Nevin meets with Moxi, a robot that handles small tasks in the hospital. Her vison is to include more technology while caring for patients in need in the growing system. | PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTIANACARE

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🔒 🔒 After ending Crozer deal, ChristianaCare looks onward

Katie Tabeling March 21, 2023

ChristianaCare has been growing through primary care offices and adding hospital locations to its network. But Dr. Janice Nevin sees a future of serving neighbors through innovation and technology.

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Health Care, Media And Marketing, News, Statewide

Delaware launches campaign to attract physicians

Katie Tabeling March 15, 2023

A new video marketing campaign is targeting the Wilmington-Philadelphia region to bring doctors and medical professionals to Delaware.

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The Delaware Restaurant Association Teledoc program provides restaurant workers with telemedicine appointments for $12 a month. | PHOTO BY ADOBE STOCK

The Delaware Restaurant Association Teledoc program provides members with telemedicine appointments for $12 a month. | PHOTO BY ADOBE STOCK[/caption] WILMINGTON — Health insurance has historically been difficult to provide to small, independent restaurants. But in Delaware, there’s one option that can fill some of the gaps, all from a smartphone or laptop. The Delaware Restaurant Association (DRA) has offered membership rates with Teladoc, a Dallas-based company that was one of the first to jump into telemedicine. Since 2021, the DRA has offered telemedicine appointments to members for $12 a month. Restaurateurs, employees and their families can request an appointment with a medical or mental health provider and be seen within a day through a video or phone call — and even even a prescription called in to a pharmacy that day. DRA President and CEO Carrie Leishman noted that while Teladoc was not a substitute for seeing a primary care doctor, it was a valuable tool in an industry that attracts young workers. “What we know is that even small businesses like those that do offer health care plans don’t take advantage of it, because young people typically shrug off some things instead of going to see a doctor, ’” she said. “Our industry isn’t 9-to-5, there’s night shifts. When there is an issue, this is a solution that can meet people where they are, and in a quick time frame.” The National Restaurant Association first tapped into the Teladoc program, leveraging its size to negotiate a favorable rate for members in state associations. Restaurant employees historically have fewer insurance options than other workers. Thirty-one percent of restaurants surveyed in Toast’s 2019 Restaurant Success Report offer medical insurance for employees, while 21% offer dental and 18% offer vision insurance. “The DRA wanted a comprehensive source of solutions for restaurant staff and their operators, and in light of the [COVID-19] pandemic, that has never been more important,” Leishman said. “This helps get that support directly to those who need it – and it can be used between jobs as well.” Through Delaware’s share of the American Rescue Plan Act, the DRA was granted funding to provide vouchers for up to 500 people to cover the entire expense of Teladoc for up to 12 months. That funding ends in 2024. Generally, the utilization has been small since the DRA launched the Teladoc program, which Leishman said could reflect the lack of immediate need, as users can download an app on their smartphones and forget about it. “We do love it because you can download it and have it right there when you need it,” Leishman said. “It does bring up a bigger picture: people weren’t used to online anything until the pandemic, and that transition to medical care and counseling was a hurdle for some people.”