SEAT PLEASANT, Md. — A $200 million telehealth partnership plan was announced Sunday by Seat Pleasant, Md. officials to monitor and track coronavirus and chronic illness symptoms -- the first of its kind in the nation.
The plan, partnered with Amazon, Sprint, Freedman's Health and Eagle Force, is devoted to surveiiling chronic disease and coronavirus symptoms for seniors and those at risk, and is set to launch immediately.
The platform also includes a patient portal, allowing people to check in with prescription data and various medical information that can be accessed for up to 25 years, Seat Pleasant Mayor Eugene Grant said.
It also allow patients to write and monitor their symptoms and keep immunization records, helping optimize treatment for those who visit in person.
The app is called MimiRX -- available on the app stores for all devices -- and is up now.
The plan includes $195 million dedicated to providing electronic tables, software and medical devices to those in need in the city, including free internet for one year on tablets. On March 22, officials will work to identify who and how to pass out free tablets that come preloaded with the app.
Grant said on Sunday there are around 300,000 of those tablets and devices available with the internet to help provide access to marginalized communities who don't have the same tech resources.
"This is about saving lives," Grant said. "This is about getting access to those who wouldn't easily have access to information. This is about making certain that we have social justice in everything that we do, and that every segment of our community is important. We work for the people."
An internet-enabled monitoring device in the platform is supported with a "secure Amazon-backed cloud program," and will be deployed as well as a temperature screening tool that can help monitor symptoms.
"The plan will provide direct telehealth access to those who need it, even if they do not have broadband access in their home," Grant said. "The system operates on the Sprint cellular network and is preloaded to deliver remote monitoring services as well as telehealth. This will enable every at-risk resident to receive immediate medical attention and monitoring for the duration of their emergency."
The app's partnership with EagleForce provides access to a telehealth physician group that specializes in geriatric care and disease management, in an effort to alleviate more people going to in-person care.
"We don't want people running out of here trying to squeeze into overloaded hospitals and clinics right now, so we created a system where we can do that monitoring of symptoms remotely," Mayor Grant said about EagleForce's system.
What about your information -- is it safe?
The data from the platform is linked to the interface with Seat Pleasant's pre-existing Smart City Hub platform, monitoring symptoms and alerting officials to what resources are needed. No one else has access to information on the app besides EagleForce. Grant said the platform is secure and has multiple data protection systems up.
Users can be apart of any service provider to use the free platform.
Seat Pleasant was chosen as the home for the hub because of that pre-existing Smart City system, making the implementation of the system easier than other places, Grant said.
"The vast capacity of the EagleForce Platform will be available to expand to serve the needs of older adults beyond Seat Pleasant, throughout Prince George’s County and the entire state of Maryland by providing a robust disease monitoring and Telehealth delivery model to address high-risk seniors and provide the necessary technology tools for low-income persons that do not have internet or technology hardware access," a statement from the city read.
For more information on the details of the new plan and what else seniors and those at risk can do, check Seat Pleasant's website here. Check here to download the MiMiRX app on Google Playstore and here to download for Apple, or here for more information online.
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