Tele-medicine in Syracuse Expands Services and Geographic Access

St. Joseph’s announces expansion of telepsychiatry program

Syracuse, NY (January 5, 2016) – St. Joseph’s Health in Syracuse is formally expanding several pilot partnerships between primary care providers and specialists at St. Joseph’s to offer psychiatric telemedicine services in areas where access to psychiatrists is limited and to better support the provision of primary care services throughout the region. Most recently, Lewis County General Hospital has announced its partnership with St. Joseph’s to offer this service.

“The telemedicine service offered to patients in rural communities allows them to have a medical appointment with a specialist via secure and interactive video equipment,” explains Jeanette Angeloro, Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health at St. Joseph’s. “They are able to speak in real-time with the specialist during their telemedicine appointment.”

Using technology to deliver health care from a distance, St. Joseph’s started providing psychiatric telemedicine services to patients through its pilot program in 2013, which continues today, demonstrating it to be an effective way of disabling barriers to care for patients living in rural communities. Angeloro noted that: “This brought positive outcomes like improved access to specialists, improved clinical outcomes, increased patient satisfaction, and supported the reduction in emergency room utilization.”

A significant challenge facing the healthcare system is the provision of care to rural areas with limited access to specialty physicians and nurse practitioners in psychiatry. And with many individuals throughout New York dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder this time of year, this service can have a critical impact.

“There are very limited mental health services available in Lewis County,” said Michele Prince, Director of Ancillary Services for Lewis County General Hospital. “Many patients will appreciate and benefit from not needing to drive two hours for an appointment.”

Appointments will be scheduled at Lewis County General Hospital on Wednesdays between the hours of 8:30 and 11:30 am with Dr. Yajaira Rodriguez. Dr. Rodriguez is a graduate of the University of Texas Medical Branch. She completed her residency in Child and Adult Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical Center and is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.




Patients can contact Lewis County General Hospital at 315-376-5798 to make a telepsychiatry appointment with a psychiatrist at St. Joseph’s, though the appointment will be held on-site at Lewis County General Hospital.

“This is the first of many telemedicine projects we hope to implement in Lewis County,” Prince added.

St. Joseph’s Hospital is rapidly expanding telepsychiatry services for the Central New York and North Country communities, building on a successful one year pilot program.

St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center is a non-profit, 431-bed hospital and health care system in Syracuse, N.Y., providing services to patients in 16 counties in Central New York State. Through prevention programs and the latest diagnostic treatment procedures, St. Joseph's works with patients to achieve optimum long-term health. A 15-time winner of the National Research Corporation Consumer Choice award, St. Joseph’s is affiliated with Franciscan Companies and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis.

Lewis County General Hospital and Residential Health Care Facility is a county owned Critical Access Hospital and is the only Hospital in Lewis County. The facility has 25 acute care and 160 long-term beds and offers a variety of inpatient and outpatient services, long term care, home health services, hospice care and a 24-hour physician staffed emergency department.