Wayne State University Physician Group launches virtual COVID-19 Care Clinic

Wayne State University Physician Group has launched a virtual clinic to care for people diagnosed with COVID-19 who are in isolation at home, or require follow-up care after hospitalization.

Pioneered by Internal Medicine specialists affiliated with WSUPG and the Wayne State School of Medicine, the clinic provides quick access to a physician through a variety of telehealth platforms (telephone, digital or auditvideo), with expedited referral to WSUPG’s network of specialists, should it become necessary.

“COVID-19 patients discharged from the hospital, emergency department or those well enough to stay home in medical isolation, have many questions on topics such as the risk of contagion amongst their families, what protective measures to take, and how and when they can ease their way back into the community,” said Aris Urbanes, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, WSUPG. “This clinic helps to make sure their recovery is on the right path and is not deteriorating, and guides them on when to seek a more acute level of care in the hospital or with a specialist.”

The clinic also serves those who have COVID-19 symptoms and are waiting for test results with concerns about their health status and protective measures.

To learn more about the clinic, or to make a telehealth appointment, call the WSUPG Call Center at 313-745- 4525 and ask to schedule an appointment with the COVID Care Clinic. Most appointments are scheduled the same day or next day.

The clinic accepts both physician referral and self-referral patients. Those referred by a physician will be referred back to their primary care physician when COVID care is complete.

The COVID Care Clinic is just one of many COVID-19 related community services that have been offered by WSUPG during the pandemic. These services have included:

• Providing mobile “drive-through” COVID testing of 3,200 symptomatic health care workers and first responders in Detroit and Dearborn through a partnership with Wayne State University Health Sciences and ACCESS from March 20 – April 10
• Purchasing four in-house testing units to accelerate COVID test results for patients at Detroit Medical Center hospitals with a Health Affairs grant from WSU President, M. Roy Wilson, M.D.
• Supporting two mobile drive-through COVID testing lanes, as well as prescriptions for individuals to receive testing, at the City of Detroit testing site at the former State Fairgrounds.
• Providing mobile “drive-to” testing for high-risk groups, including first responders, corrections officers and direct caregivers across Michigan, through a partnership with WSU, ACCESS and Ford X, Ford Motor’s in-house incubator, which donated vehicles, drivers and equipment for on-the-road COVID testing.
• Providing in-place COVID testing of homeless individuals with symptoms at a designated Salvation Army shelter in Detroit
• Offering behavioral health support for WSU faculty, staff and students, and WSUPG physicians and staff, during the COVID-19 pandemic through a telehealth program called Warriors Strong Together

“These COVID-19 initiatives reflect WSUPG’s longstanding history of accountability for the health and welfare of vulnerable and high-risk populations; they serve as powerful examples of the opportunities that can be created through team-based partnerships addressing community health needs,” said Charles Shanley, M.D., president and CEO, Wayne State University Physician Group and vice dean for Clinical Affairs, Wayne State School of Medicine.

State of Michigan’s coronavirus website

State of Michigan COVID-19 hotline: 888-535-6136, press 1