He's Not the Same Kid: How Telehealth Changed a Student's Life

Timothy struggled in school. A freshman at C.E. Murray High School in Williamsburg County, he was reserved and inattentive in class. But he had a much bigger problem out of the classroom: severe, poorly-controlled asthma.

“In over 20 years of pediatric practice, he is probably the most severe asthmatic I’ve ever treated,” said Kelli Garber, the lead nurse practitioner for the Medical University of South Carolina’s Center for Telehealth. “He had already been referred to the emergency department twice by ambulance from school.”

Garber first met Timothy more than two years ago, during his freshman year, through a telehealth consultation. Through a school-based telehealth program at the school, Garber connected to the school nurse’s office through live video for regular appointments with him.

Lynn Floyd, a former school nurse who now works for MUSC’s school-based telehealth program in Williamsburg County, says Timothy has changed drastically since he got treatment for his asthma.

“His mom often tells me that he is not the same kid,” said Floyd. “He feel better, he talks more, he laughs, he jokes. She’s seen a tremendous improvement at home, and we’ve seen a tremendous improvement at school.”