Virtual Urgent Care: Providing a Higher Level of Care

The Springs at Monarch Landing is leading the charge of rehabilitation and health care providers for integrating new strategies, equipment, and professionals in order to ensure the most successful outcomes possible.

Recently, The Springs became among the first in the area to adopt Third Eye Health. The Administrator at the time at The Springs, called the innovative telehealth initiative a “game changer,” explaining, “This technology allows us to connect with a specially trained physician within just moments, 24/7.”

Virtual Urgent Care for Seniors: An Overview

As demand grows for faster, more accessible medical care for seniors, virtual urgent care has emerged as an essential tool. Unlike traditional urgent care clinics, virtual urgent care provides seniors with quick access to medical care through a secure video visit—often within minutes.

This growing trend is transforming health care for adults and children alike. Families appreciate that both younger members and older adults can receive care and attention without leaving home.

Through platforms like Third Eye Health, residents benefit from:

• Rapid access to specially trained physicians
• Support during evenings, nights, and weekends
• Immediate guidance for non-emergency medical conditions
• Fewer unnecessary hospital transfers
• A smoother, more supportive post-acute care experience

This virtual visit model helps ensure safety, comfort, and continuity of health care for elderly residents while supporting nursing staff with quick medical backup. Most major insurance plans are accepted, making it easy for residents and their families to schedule care.

How Virtual Urgent Care Works at The Springs

Third Eye Health, which The Springs utilizes on evenings and weekends, works on an iPad. “When a physician is not available on-site, the nursing staff can contact the Third Eye physician within just a few minutes. The nurse takes the iPad into a resident’s or guest’s room. The physician can see the individual, access their electronic health records, assess their vitals, and talk with the nurse and patient,” he said.

This integrated workflow allows residents to receive care quickly while ensuring their treatment plans are updated and aligned with their full health histories. Prescriptions can also be sent to the pharmacy of your choice, just as during a traditional urgent care virtual visit.
This accomplishes several things. First, Nolden noted, it “optimizes the best level of care that we’re able to provide with its 24/7 physician services. Additionally, it helps to keep patients out of the hospital. Historically, if there was a change in condition in the evenings or during weekends, the protocol would be to send the patient to the hospital. With this service, we have access to physicians, which allows us to keep patients in place where we can care for them.” Nolden added that Third Eye enables The Springs to care for patients with higher acuity.

Nolden said that an added benefit of Third Eye is that the evening shift of caregivers appreciates the service. “It provides medical assistance to our team as soon as they need it. The Third Eye physicians virtually step in and help out and are very much invested in the patient’s care. This is great for the staff morale, and we believe that it will help with staff retention, which is so important in this field.”

What Virtual Urgent Care Is For

Virtual urgent care visits are ideal for non-life-threatening medical concerns, including:

• Minor infections
• Cough, cold, or flu symptoms
• Medication questions or prescription needs
• Skin concerns, swelling, or mild pain
• Early signs of chronic condition changes
• After-hours concerns that require quick guidance

These virtual visits support better outcomes by catching issues early while reducing an unnecessary trip to the emergency room or making an unnecessary call to 911—especially important for seniors and individuals recovering in post-acute care.

What Virtual Urgent Care Is Not For

While virtual urgent care is powerful, it is not a replacement for emergency care.
It should not be used for:

• Severe chest pain
• Sudden difficulty breathing
• Stroke symptoms
• Major injuries or fractures
• Uncontrolled bleeding
• Any life-threatening medical emergencies

In these cases, emergency services should be contacted immediately.

Please note: Virtual urgent care cannot replace hands-on diagnostics or procedures that require in-person emergency medical care.

Enhanced On-Site Medical Services at The Springs

In addition to Third Eye, The Springs has added some medical professionals to its team. A nurse practitioner is on-site full time, Monday through Friday. It have also introduced additional medical specialty services including physiatry, cardiology, and nephrology. The physicians or nurse practitioners in each of these specialties are at The Springs two or three times each week.

“This has upped the ante on the number of services that we’re able to provide,” Nolden said. “The use of Third Eye along with the addition of our medical providers, helps to increase the number of what we call ‘touches’ but what are widely referred to as ‘encounters’ between medical professionals and patients. Each ‘touch’ or ‘encounter’ presents an opportunity for a higher-level assessment of the patient’s status and consequently, a higher and better level of care leading to the best possible outcomes.”

Experience a Higher Standard of Post-Acute and Senior Care

By combining 24 hours a day, seven days a week virtual urgent care, expanded medical staffing, and ongoing specialty services, The Springs at Monarch Landing continues to raise the standard for older adults in need of short-term rehabilitation or long-term support.
If you’d like to learn more about our post-acute care programs and how we deliver exceptional care services for every resident, please contact us today to schedule a tour.