Telehealth provider American Well, has announced the appointment of Peter Antall, MD, as its first Chief Medical Officer. Under his leadership, Dr. Peter Antall will help guide the company’s growing roster of healthcare partners as they integrate telehealth visits into care delivery.
American Well connects doctors and patients for immediate online visits. The company’s full-service telehealth platform includes smartphone, traditional phone, web, and kiosk-based care delivery. American Well serves a growing list of health systems, health plans, employers, and physician practice groups as well as consumers through its telehealth app, Amwell.
Experienced Physician Leader at the Forefront of Telemedicine
Dr. Peter Antall is an experienced leader at the forefront of telemedicine, having helped establish the first and only national telehealth medical network: The Online Care Group P.C. Founded in 2012, the Online Care Group has since grown to become a network of more than 600 board-certified physicians, dietitians and psychotherapists operating in 48 States.
Online Care Group is unique in that its clinicians dedicate a significant portion of their working lives to the practice of telemedicine. The Group operates as any large medical group would, with clinical leadership and management dedicated to the long-term welfare of patients. This is distinct from the loose contractor-based networks that are typical in telemedicine today – where doctors can sign up and “do a few visits” by phone for extra cash.
In founding Online Care Group, Dr. Antall built a robust program that projects care using American Well’s platform through use of highly-trained, experienced clinicians using a collaborative and evidence-based approach. The Group has innovated in the area of provider communications and training, resulting in programs such as virtual “Grand Rounds,” telehealth CME programs and other online, secure collaboration tools. He will continues to serve as president and medical director of the Online Care Group.
Dr. Antall also built quality management and credentialing programs for the Group, helping Amwell to become the first consumer-facing telehealth platform to receive accreditation by the American Telemedicine Association.
“As a trained pediatrician, hospitalist and practice leader, I understand the needs of clinicians, the challenges they face, and above all, their deep desire to consistently deliver medical care that improves patients’ lives,” said Dr. Peter Antall in an official statement. “At American Well, we believe that someday our technology services will no longer be called telehealth, they will just be part of how healthcare is delivered – making the point of care wherever the patient happens to be. That future is only realized when hospitals and doctors are using telehealth as a tool to better care for their patient population. I’m excited to work with our healthcare partners to make good on that vision.”
