Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD and Crutchfield Dermatology Celebrates its 2,000th Virtual Telemedicine Visit


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Charles E. Crutchfield III, M.D.

“If these first 2,000 encounters have taught us anything, it will be that our workflows may change, but more efficient care and widespread quality dermatologic care can be the result. That is our silver lining,” Dr.Crutchfield ended.

Charles E. Crutchfield III, M.D., a national leader in telemedicine and clinical dermatology, announced that he had personally conducted more than 2,000 virtual patient teledermatology visits and consultations last week at Crutchfield Dermatology. So far, telemedicine has proven to be a critical resource as the organization continues to serve patient needs despite ongoing disruptions caused by COVID-19. Dr. Crutchfield is still seeing patients in-office for acute cases that need personal attention. Many patients have opted for virtual telemedicine visits for initial screenings, follow-up appointments, and medicine refills. Additionally, Crutchfield Dermatology can service many small towns and rural areas in northern Minnesota that don’t have a dermatologist. “This is significantly raising the quality of dermatologic care for all of Minnesota citizens,” commented Darrin Rosha, a University of Minnesota Regent. We are also looking to participating in the Medical License Compact that allows a physician to be licensed and serve patients in 27 states. This ability to help patients in 27 states will be an incredible breakthrough, especially for states that don’t have access to a board-certified dermatologist.

“Crutchfield Dermatology is committed to providing high-quality skincare during this challenging time,” said Tim Quesnell, Clinic Manager at Crutchfield Dermatology. “We have created access to telemedicine across all of our offices so that patients can call their provider’s office and get an appointment, along with instructions on an easy-to-use platform for video conferencing. The most important thing we can do for our patients is to make sure they have access to care in the safest place for them, which, still, is their home right now.”

All a patient needs is a computer or smart device, an email address, and basic computer skills. Assistance and instructional help can be provided by the computer-savvy Crutchfield Dermatology staff, as needed. Crutchfield Dermatology supports Zoom, Skype, Google Duo, and several other live virtual platforms.

Charles E. Crutchfield III, M.D., Medical Director of Crutchfield Dermatology reports: “The accelerated development of this critical telemedicine offering is a testament to the nimble, multitalented staff here, and I couldn’t be prouder of the way we rose to the challenge and pushed to adapt for the benefit of our patients, our employees, and communities across the country.” He continued, “This unfortunate situation has brought the opportunity to recalibrate how we provide care. If these first 2,000 encounters have taught us anything, it will be that our workflows may change, but more efficient care and widespread quality dermatologic care can be the result. That is our silver lining,” Dr.Crutchfield ended.

About Charles E. Crutchfield III, M.D:

Charles E. Crutchfield III, M.D., is a graduate of the Mayo Clinic Medical School and a Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He is currently the Medical Director of Crutchfield Dermatology in Eagan and is a Benedict Distinguished Professor of Biology at Carleton College. Dr. Crutchfield has won numerous teaching and professional awards and is the co-author of a children’s book on sun protection, a dermatology textbook, and hundreds of medial articles. He is a member of the AΩA National Medical Honor Society, an expert consultant for WebMD and CNN, and a recipient of the Karis Humanitarian Award from the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. He is the team physician for the Minnesota Twins, Vikings, Wild, Timberwolves and Lynx professional sports teams. Dr. Crutchfield has over 25 years of clinical experience caring for patients.

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