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Free On-Demand Virtual Medical Services Now Available to Texans Affected by Hurricane Harvey

In the wake of the devastation left by Hurricane Harvey, thousands of individuals have been displaced from their homes, schools, places of work, and are in need of critical access to medical care and prescriptions.
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Rising water levels due to Hurricane Harvey 2017, in Spring, Texas. | By MDay Photography | Shutterstock

In the wake of the devastation left by Hurricane Harvey, thousands of individuals have been displaced from their homes, schools, places of work, and are in need of critical access to medical care and prescriptions. Now, through a partnership between Greater San Antonio Emergency Physicians (GSEP) and Hippo Health, a premier provider of telemedicine services throughout the state of Colorado, individuals impacted by the hurricane have free access to urgent medical care and prescriptions or refills through the touch of their smartphone. Volunteer services provided by Greater San Antonio Emergency Physicians are available from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week.

This includes displaced Texans at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center as well as DFW residents whose doctor is unavailable or hard to reach due to overwhelming demand.

As long as Texas is declared a state of emergency, these free telemedicine services will be available.

“Emergency rooms throughout the state of Texas are currently seeing the volume of patients in one hour that they would ordinarily see in a 24-hour period,” said Dave Wiebe, MD, and co-founder of Hippo Health. “As an emergency physician, I know the kind of strain hospitals are under when crises hit. Our goal is to make quality, urgent medical care and prescriptions available for free to the tens of thousands who do not have access to their regular doctors and/or who are unable to make it to their doctor’s office. As Texans are leaving shelters, they are leaving behind on-site access to medical care. As long as Texas is declared a state of emergency, Hippo Health and GSEP will do our part to deliver a platform to take care of Texas residents through free virtual on-demand medical care.”

Hippo Health’s telemedicine service is available for any acute medical need, across all ages and practices, including pediatrics and gerontology, and for new prescriptions and refills. To sign up, download the app by visiting hippohealth.com. Complete the quick sign-up form, check the box for “victims of Hurricane Harvey,” and start talking with a GSEP emergency physician right away. Receive medical advice and prescriptions for medications on a smartphone in minutes.

About Hippo Health

Hippo Health offers a new approach to expert, local, on-demand healthcare. From acute medical conditions to prescription needs, Hippo Health connects patients with local emergency physicians for prompt, affordable telemedicine services. Unlimited access ranges from $19 per month for an individual to $37 per month for a family of up to seven. Commercial pricing is also available. The Hippo Health app is available for download in the Apple Store or on the web at hippohealth.com.

About Greater San Antonio Emergency Medicine

GSEP Emergency Medicine is an independent and democratic association comprised of over 75 emergency medicine physicians serving six hospitals and over 200,000 patients per year in San Antonio, Texas. GSEP EM assembled the first all board-certified emergency medicine physician group in the state of Texas with the mission to provide the highest level of emergency care. For more information, visit gsepem.com.