If you are a patient at a University of Florida hospital in Gainesville, the local extension office may soon be able to save you a lot of driving

If you are a patient at a University of Florida hospital in Gainesville, the local extension office may soon be able to save you a lot of driving.

Several NW Florida District Extension offices, including the one in Franklin County, will be receiving a “telemedicine” station that will allow local UF Health patients to access their doctors in Gainesville without having to make the trip for routine appointments.

This is part of a pilot program to assess effectiveness of making the service available in smaller, rural counties where patients have challenges travelling to Gainesville.

The Extension office says initially the program is for those who already have doctors with UF. 

Later, if all goes well, it will be open to all qualifying county residents who need the assistance of UF doctors.

There is no set date yet for when the program will begin, though it will likely be in October or November.

The Franklin County Extension Office is located at 261 Dr. Frederick S. Humphries Street in Apalachicola.

http://live.oysterradio.com/