Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber on May 24 cut the ceremonial ribbon to mark the opening of Providence Health and Services’ innovative new video healthcare clinic, Providence Health express.

This new worksite clinic inside the Bureau of Labor and Industries building in Salem, Ore., is part of an ongoing partnership by Providence and the Public Employees’ Benefit Board, or PEBB. At Providence Health eXpress, public employees with minor complaints can see a board-certified clinician by secure video. The goal is to diagnose and treat the employee quickly, so they can get right back to work.

"This is a great example of how we can reorganize the healthcare delivery system to be more cost effective," Kitzhaber said in a news release. "In this model, it really changes how individuals receive healthcare."

"This partnership is an example of how teamwork can really transform healthcare," Greg Van Pelt, chief executive for Providence Health and Services in Oregon, said in the release. "This is a natural extension of our pioneering spirit, not just in Oregon, but for the entire country."

The service is available to all Oregon state employees living or working in Salem who are enrolled in a PEBB medical plan, either through Providence Health Plan or Kaiser Permanente.

Watch a video of the visit: www.YouTube.com/watch?v=nya6pQowJrM

Learn more: www.ProvidenceHealthPlans.org/PEBB