Most innovations in healthcare arrive with a promise. Virtual care arrived with a question: What if access didn’t have to wait? At OneHealth, virtual care is not a replacement for primary care but an extension of its reach—removing friction, closing gaps, and meeting patients where they are in their real lives. It is the front door that never closes, the follow-up that actually follows through, the quiet bridge between moments of need and moments of care. And yet, like any meaningful evolution in medicine, its value lies not in the technology itself but in how thoughtfully it is integrated into the enduring human relationship at the heart of primary care.

The following is a conversation with Max Vinograd, PA-C, who, along with Kasey Chmelik, FNP, serves on OneHealth’s Virtual Care Team. 

Q: “Will subtle findings get missed if I’m not in person?”

Max: It is the responsibility of a virtual clinician to determine whether it is appropriate to manage a person entirely virtually or to escalate them to a higher level of care. The same is true for a primary care or urgent care clinician determining if a patient needs to be sent to the emergency department or to a specialist. As clinicians, we are always triaging, prioritizing the most difficult cases first, and knowing when a patient’s care needs to be escalated to a higher level of care. Patients should feel comfortable accessing care virtually, knowing that this is always on their virtual clinician’s mind.

Q: “What patients are the best candidates for virtual care, and is there a line between convenience and the best care in person?”

Max: If you look around the country and around the world, technology is moving so fast. It can even feel uncomfortable at times. Access to virtual medicine is showing up all over the place, and many of these questions are being answered in real time. What is important is creating a virtual program that emphasizes quality care, using evidence-based medicine, and good communication with the patient and the patient’s healthcare team. There will always be situations where a virtual encounter turns out to not be the best option to fully and safely take care of someone and needs to be escalated to a higher level of care, and that is the responsibility of the virtual provider.

Q: “Does virtual care take away from relationship-based care and make things less personal?” Will this make my care feel disconnected?”

Max: It actually keeps you more connected, more often. Instead of waiting weeks between visits or going somewhere unfamiliar for quick needs, virtual care keeps you in touch with your own care team—people who know you. In-person healthcare will never go away. This is the bedrock of primary care medicine, and patients value it tremendously. But with busy schedules, busy providers, and long wait times to get in to see your primary care provider, a lack of communication can be detrimental to patient rapport. From my experience in virtual medicine so far, I believe the opposite is true. We are an extra link in the chain that connects provider to patient, and almost unanimously, patients have a deep appreciation for the convenience, access, and quality of care provided virtually. It’s also important to keep in mind that patients have the decision whether they want to choose an in-person or a virtual visit. There is usually a very good reason patients choose the virtual option from time to time.

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Virtual care, at its best, is not about screens or software. It is about proximity. It is about showing up—sooner, more often, and in ways that feel relevant to the patient’s life, not just convenient to the larger system. It is about extending the reach of trust beyond the walls of the clinic. It is about building trust and continuity with your primary care provider. At OneHealth, we declare, “We’ll Take Care of You Now.” Virtual Care is one way of doing just that. 

OneHealth Virtual Care

• Patients age 13+; same-day appointments available
• Acute visits for new and returning patients
• Chronic disease management (diabetes, high blood pressure)
• Mental health services
• Medicare Annual Wellness Visits
• Establish care with a provider
• Ideal for patients unable to come in due to transportation

To schedule, call 704-801-7390 or any One Health location.

You will be connected with our One Health Connections team, who will help guide you in scheduling the best day and time for you.