TeleCare Appointments Now Available at American Family Care

WEST SPRINGFIELD — American Family Care (AFC), the largest provider of urgent care and accessible primary care in the Commonwealth, announced that its Springfield and West Springfield urgent-care centers are now offering virtual AFC TeleCare appointments, allowing patients to schedule and have their visit from home via telephone and/or videoconference. In addition, to further enhance access to care, the state last week lifted the referral requirement typically needed by MassHealth patients to receive treatment at urgent-care centers.

“Our providers are in the office seven days a week to handle the community’s urgent care needs in person, and now we have a platform for those patients who may be restricted from visiting our office due to various ailments or conditions,” said Dr. Vincent Meoli, regional medical director of AFC. “We can provide needed medical attention while reducing physical contact to help minimize the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. We’re doing our best to provide the most accessible healthcare services for the Greater Springfield community. We are also gratified that we can now provide care, both in-person and via TeleCare, to MassHealth patients who previously required a referral.”

The AFC TeleCare platform allows patients to schedule virtual appointments. During the appointment, an AFC provider virtually assesses patient concerns and symptoms, answers questions, and recommends the next steps a patient should take, all without the risk of exposure amid the coronavirus crisis and ongoing flu season.

If an in-person visit is warranted following the AFC TeleCare consultation for necessary tests or exams, patients can come into the urgent-care center, which is following established protocols for infection control.

To schedule an AFC TeleCare appointment, patients can visit afcurgentcarespringfield.com and click on the ‘telemed appointment’ button to complete the registration form.