Classmates From Cornell’s Healthcare MBA Program Mobilize Medical Volunteers to Deliver Free COVID-19 Virtual Care in Vulnerable Communities

MBA Blog / 13th May 2020

Four former classmates from Cornell’s top-ranked healthcare MBA program aim to help mobilize an army of medical volunteers to deliver free COVID-19 virtual screening, monitoring, and education in vulnerable communities around the nation through www.freecovid.clinic. Dr. Jimenez, founder of ImplementHIT, a seasoned digital health company focusing on education, training, and virtual care, collaborated with Dr. Ofrona Reid, Natasha VanWright, RN, and Cynthia Morel to strategize on program design, strategic partners and implementation. 

As experts warn that COVID-19 may become even more difficult to manage next winter, virtual care delivered online provides hope by keeping patients who do not need hospital care isolated and out of the ER, protecting limited hospital capacity for those who need it most.

“During a recent conversation with Gary DeJarnett, our company’s CIO who lives in rural Texas, we discussed how urban and rural areas would need more support,” said Dr. Jimenez. “When I mentioned how only 7,000 out of the 89,000 medical volunteers like myself who signed up in New York were deployed, we thought perhaps we could connect these volunteers to rural and urban communities through virtual care online.”

Medical volunteers interested in participating can sign up for more information at www.freecovid.clinic. Due to recent state government waivers, physicians with an active state medical license in New York can deliver COVID-19-related care in 30 states (some require a fast-track temporary license). The CARES Act passed in March provides even greater liability protection for volunteer health care professionals providing COVID-19 care. The virtual clinic will be available for free to patients later this week.

“This program can offer an opportunity for more communities to receive screening and monitoring, particularly those communities that are facing this pandemic from a deficit that is rooted in social determinants of health,” said VanWright. According to Dr. Reid, “Many of the patients I see via telehealth become anxious and struggle with self-isolating, making the virtual monitoring and education components of this program unique and extremely important.”