OCTOBER 25, 2022
CP STATE AND STATIONMD TAKE MEASURES TO MITIGATE HEALTH DISPARITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH I/DD
[Cohoes, N.Y. & Maplewood, N.J.]—The systemic healthcare inequities experienced every day by Americans with disabilities were recently highlighted in the New York Times and the Washington Post.
As partners in the effort to improve health for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD), CP State and StationMD take to heart the tragic stories behind these headlines. This prompts us to join our voices in response, to declare that we will continue working to expand initiatives that bridge gaps in healthcare for individuals with I/DD.
CP State and its affiliates serve more than 100,000 individuals with cerebral palsy and I/DD across the state of New York. StationMD is a telemedicine practice dedicated specifically to delivering medical and behavioral healthcare to individuals with I/DD across the country. Working together, and through funding from the NYS Department of Health, more than 8,300 individuals who receive CP State’s support are able to have access to I/DD-specialized telemedicine services through StationMD, 24/7, from the patient’s home, through both scheduled appointments and urgent, on-demand consultations.
StationMD’s doctors are all board-certified and rigorously trained to understand the complex health conditions that people with I/DD frequently experience. Leveraging common technology and offering wrap-around services, this partnership flexes the healthcare delivery system to bring specialized doctors to patients with I/DD anytime they need medical attention. This helps avoid chaotic and often traumatic visits to the ER, and lengthy and unnecessary hospital admissions that have detrimental impacts on individuals with I/DD, their caregivers, support professionals, and the entire health system.
New York state has developed some innovative solutions so far, and this partnership is a success story about how there are doctors who are fully dedicated to improving the lives of people with I/DD. Working closely with advocates and government leaders, StationMD and CP State are easing logistical hurdles, improving healthcare access, and mitigating health disparities for people with I/DD.
Following the publication of these articles, and as this week the CP State annual conference is in full swing, we use this moment to publicly commit to giving people with I/DD the time and attention their medical matters deserve, and we will continue to encourage systemic changes that result in meaningful impact on their health.
Signed:
Mike Alvaro
President & CEO, CP State
Matthew Kaufman, MD, FACEP
CEO & Cofounder, StationMD
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CP STATE CONTACT:
Bill DeVoe, Director of Communications and Advocacy
wdevoe@cpstate.org
+1-518-478-4809
STATIONMD CONTACT:
Paige Bagby, Communications Manager
paige.bagby@stationmd.com
+1-205-601-7079