On Call 

The Mercy health system has added physicians to its nurse on-call program.

Dubbed Mercy on Call, doctors and advanced practice providers this summer began making medication adjustments, advising other treatments or sending primary care patients to the emergency room through telephone “visits.”

Officials say the need for more remote care grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people avoided everything from grocery stores to doctor’s offices.

“We quickly delivered with even more video visit options, but sometimes a phone call is faster and easier for patients – especially late at night or on weekends. Nurse on Call has always been busy for that reason,” said Dr. Justin Huynh, vice president of population health at Mercy, in a news release last month.

The new system provides access to electronic health records so caregivers can view a patient’s medical history, allergies and medications. It also links to the primary care provider to leave a record of the on-call care provided.

Mercy officials say they’re hiring full-time physicians and advanced practice providers for the service. While Mercy on Call operates after hours and on weekends for adult primary care patients, the Nurse on Call service continues to handle after-hours requests for pediatric patients.