Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, Md  –   BETHESDA, Md. January 15 – Patient use of Walter Reed’s new virtual visit service, My Military Health Scheduled Virtual Visits, more than doubled during the snowstorm impacting the Washington, D.C. region on January 6 and 7.

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center instituted virtual visits for outpatients on December 9, 2024 as part of its New Model of Care which puts people at the center of every decision.
Since the program started, healthcare providers have seen an average of 328 patients virtually per day. During the recent snowstorm, that number surged to 618 on January 6 and 688 on January 7.

Hospital administrators say the surge demonstrates the value of virtual visits, especially during weather emergencies, and how receptive patients are to adopting this technology.

“When our patients saw the forecast for 6”-10” of snow, many didn’t want to risk driving in those conditions and switched their appointments to virtual visits instead. We were thrilled because this is exactly why we adopted this technology. It’s convenient, saves times, and when the weather is bad, it’s safer than driving,” said Brian Vazzano, director of healthcare operations at the hospital.

My Military Health Scheduled Virtual Visits empowers Walter Reed’s outpatients to conveniently meet with their care team through an online patient portal at appointment time.

“Whether a beneficiary lives far from the hospital, is too busy, or non-ambulatory, My Military Health Scheduled Virtual Visits let Walter Reed outpatients access care when and where it’s best for them,” Vazzano said.

Patients can find more information on scheduled virtual visits at https://tricare.mil/Plans/SpecialPrograms/MyMilitaryHealth/Virtual-Visits.

To schedule a virtual visit, please contact your clinic or your care team through the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal at https://myaccess.dmdc.osd.mil/identitymanagement/app/login.