The Front Door to Healthcare: Real Patient Encounters from the OnMed CareStation®

SHBP CASE STUDY

See how Georgia's State Health Benefit Plan brought same-day care directly into the workplace.

Overhead view of a woman entering an OnMed CareStation® with a quote reading "Caught early enough to treat her cancer and make a full recovery"

Every day, most of what happens at an OnMed CareStation® is everyday healthcare: sore throats, prescription refills, follow-ups on a condition someone has managed for years. 86% of visits are resolved on-site, without a referral, a transfer, or another visit somewhere else. The three most common diagnoses are hypertensive diseases, acute upper respiratory infections, and metabolic disorders. The most frequently prescribed treatments are cold and allergy medications, pain management, and antibiotics.

That everyday reliability is what earns trust. A CareStation becomes someone's default source of care by treating a refill with the same consistency as something serious, and that trust is what leads a patient to mention a symptom they've been ignoring or come back when something feels wrong.

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The Value of a Complete Exam

Close-up of a hand pulling open the door handle of an OnMed CareStation®

A patient came in with a routine upper respiratory infection: productive cough, congestion, a sore throat, no other medical history to speak of. It's one of the most common reasons anyone visits a CareStation, and by itself it wouldn't be worth telling as a story.

Using the stethoscope built into the CareStation, the clinician listened to her lungs and heart, standard practice for a visit like this one. The lungs showed exactly what was expected: congestion consistent with the infection. The heart showed something no one was looking for: a new murmur, with no prior history of one.

The clinician treated the infection and explained the murmur directly. A referral to a cardiologist followed, and she left understanding both parts of what had happened in that one visit.

Nothing about this visit was unusual until it wasn't. A complete exam treats more than what a patient came in for. A visit isn’t comprehensive unless it can also surface what they didn't know to mention.

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Cancer Diagnosis, Caught Early

A returning patient arrived at a CareStation with intense stomach pain and gastrointestinal bleeding. She hoped it was nothing and thought about waiting it out, but her Care Manager wasn't willing to take that chance.

The Care Manager pushed for further testing right away. That led to a diagnosis no one wants, a cancerous mass.

After chemotherapy and radiation, she is cancer-free. She credits her Care Manager, and the OnMed CareStation®, with catching it early enough to treat, and helping her make a full recovery.

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No Time to Wait

A patient was out of town visiting family, away from his regular doctor, when he started feeling unwell and stopped by a nearby CareStation to get checked out. During intake, a care team member noted his oxygen saturation at 70%, a level low enough to be a medical emergency on its own.

Signs of respiratory distress confirmed it. EMS was activated, and he was transported to a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with a COPD exacerbation and pneumonia.

After treatment, he was discharged home in much-improved condition, with instructions to follow up closely with his primary care provider. Being away from his regular doctor didn't stop him from getting checked out due to the convenience and availability of the CareStation. The CareStation was close by, open, and didn't require an appointment, and that ease is what got him seen in time to catch two serious conditions before either one could get worse.

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More Than a Resolution Rate

Silhouette of a person standing on a mountain ridge at sunrise overlooking a layered mountain range

None of these three visits looked the same going in. One was a routine infection. One was a returning patient with a trusted relationship and history already in place. One was an emergency recognized because care was easily accessed by a patient away from his regular doctors and medical routine.

What they share is what made each outcome possible, a live clinician, integrated diagnostic tools, and a model built to catch what a telehealth conversation alone would likely miss.

For organizations and communities interested in the CareStation, the emergencies are only part of the picture. The same model that catches them is also resolving 86% of all visits on-site, keeping chronic conditions managed instead of left to worsen, and handling concerns that would have otherwise sent 58% of those patients to urgent care or the emergency room. The CareStation brings consistent care that catches most problems while they're still small. The emergencies are what get noticed. The everyday visits are what keep most problems from becoming emergencies at all.
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Interested in bringing an OnMed CareStation® to your organization or community? Connect with our team today.
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To protect patient privacy, identifying details in these stories, including names, exact ages, and specific locations, have been changed or removed. Each account reflects a real encounter at an OnMed CareStation®.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the patient experience?

It is simple. The patient walks in and presses start. The patient is fully guided by our clinical team from start to finish – intuitive, private and seamless. The patient presses start and is greeted by a Care Coordinator who collects the patient demographic information, consent, chief complaint, and medical history. They will leverage the diagnostic tools to collect vitals. Once completed, a licensed clinician is able to deploy a range of diagnostic tools that descend from the ceiling and the patient is guided through an exam using a stethoscope, HD cameras, thermal imaging, blood pressure and pulse oximeter. This can include providing an over-the-counter treatment plan, ordering labs, referrals and/or sending e-prescriptions. The clinician will also coordinate any follow-up visits with the patient. Once the patient leaves, the clinician will activate the clean mode feature before the next patient enters the CareStation.

How does the OnMed CareStation support healthcare access for underserved communities?

80% of CareStation users have no primary care provider. For many, the CareStation is the first time they have experienced care they can count on. The CareStation operates on dual broadband and satellite connectivity, reaching communities that traditional telehealth cannot serve. It requires no construction, no permanent staffing, and deploys in 45 days (about 60 days for Tribal communities), making it viable for rural counties, tribal lands, correctional facilities, urban underserved neighborhoods, and any community where the infrastructure to deliver care has been absent for decades. The CareStation's 4.96 out of 5 patient satisfaction score reflects what happens when people who have been systematically excluded from the healthcare system finally have a front door. It can be placed in workplaces, educational institutions, government facilities, and community settings.

Can the CareStation function as a medical home for patients without a primary care provider?

Yes. Roughly 80% of CareStation patients have no primary care provider. For many of them, the CareStation becomes their consistent point of contact for both routine and unexpected health needs, effectively serving as a medical home. The CareStation is designed to extend access to care rather than replace a patient's existing primary care provider.

What is OnMed's voluntary return rate and what does it mean?

Across non-education deployments, 37% of CareStation patients return voluntarily within 12 months with no reminder, no mandate, and nothing forcing their hand. In a healthcare system where urgent care follow-up rates are below 8% and retail clinic chains have shuttered nationwide after failing to earn continuity, that 37% is not a utilization metric. It is a trust metric. It represents patients who experienced care that felt worth returning to—care that resolved their condition, gave them clarity about next steps, and made them feel genuinely cared for. Trust built that return rate. And in a healthcare system that has failed for decades to earn continuity with underserved populations, trust is the outcome that precedes every other outcome.

What conditions can OnMed treat?

The CareStation treats everyday conditions such as colds, flu and COVID, pink eye, allergies, bronchitis and asthma, rashes, acid reflux, headaches, back and muscle strains, and medication refills. It also supports management of chronic conditions including hypertension, diabetes, asthma, obesity. Today, clinicians screen for depression and anxiety and connect patients to community resources. In 2027, OnMed will expand mental health care for adults to include mild-to-moderate anxiety and depression, insomnia, grief, burnout and acute stress, perinatal depression, and SSRI/SNRI medication management, with a psychiatric nurse practitioner consulting. Find a CareStation near you.

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