Getting to the nearest high-risk pregnancy specialist was an ordeal for Tara Perez, a 35-year-old with type 1 diabetes. Tara lives in Cartersville, Georgia, a small town that can be up to three hours from Atlanta during rush hour. Because of her condition, it was critical for her to see this doctor regularly.

Fortunately, Tara's local ob/gyn teamed with an Atlanta telehealth company, so every few weeks when she went for her checkup, she was also able to video-chat with maternal-fetal doctor Anne Patterson, M.D. "It was weird the first time I saw Dr. Patterson on the computer screen," Tara says, but once she adjusted to the idea, "there were no disadvantages to not being in her office." Her ob/gyn performed her basic exam, then conducted a special ultrasound that Dr. Patterson could immediately review. Skipping the long-distance drive meant that the appointments didn't take much time away from Tara's home fragrance consulting business. Most important, it allowed her to have top-notch medical care. She delivered her healthy baby girl, Selene, in her preferred local hospital last year.

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