Virtual Care

Translations: Español, Hmong, Karen, Somali

Virtual care: Convenient, expert care online through your smartphone, tablet or laptop

Through the virtual care program at Children’s Minnesota, you can schedule a virtual visit online with your care team from the comfort of home – or an alternate private location – without the cost and time associated with traveling to one of our clinics.

During virtual clinic visits, patients and health care providers can see, hear and talk with each other, just like traditional, in-person appointments. You and your provider should mutually determine if a virtual care visit is right for your child’s care.

Schedule a virtual visit

Virtual clinic visits are scheduled appointments that happen during regular clinic hours. They let you to meet face-to-face with a provider with a secure video connection.

Virtual clinic visits cost the same as an office visit and are covered by most insurance plans.

Care is also available virtually by our social work, interpreters, nutrition, wound services and our home care team. Care may be provided virtually in our inpatient units and clinic settings as well as in-home.

What you need for a virtual video visit

The patient must be physically located in Minnesota at the time of the virtual care visit, as required by state medical boards. If you do not plan to be in Minnesota at the time of your virtual care visit, you must notify your clinic in advance. Regulations about virtual care are changing daily with the COVID-19 pandemic, so please check with your clinic about receiving care outside of Minnesota.

The patient must be present for the virtual clinic visit unless told otherwise by your provider.

Find a private, comfortable setting with good lighting, and avoid café or coffee shop settings if possible.

We recommend that you use a mobile device (a smartphone or tablet) for the best experience. If your device is not connected to Wi-Fi, cellular data will be used. An unlimited data plan is highly recommended.

If you can’t use a mobile device, you can use a laptop or PC with a working camera, microphone, speaker, and internet connection. Supported internet browsers are Google Chrome on Windows laptops and Safari on Apple laptops.

How we keep your virtual visit private and secure

Here are ways that we protect the privacy of your family and your child’s health information during virtual care visits.

  • Our virtual care platforms are secure and HIPAA-compliant.
  • Children’s Minnesota staff may be in a private space such as an exam room or office during a virtual care visit. If staff is in a clinic setting where other staff may be visible in the background, they will generally use headsets so others cannot hear you.
  • Video connections are not recorded by Children’s Minnesota. Unauthorized recording is not allowed. If your visit is on the phone, your conversation is as secure as any phone call.

Your virtual visit

If you have everything needed for a virtual visit, select the participating primary care clinic or specialty care clinic below for instructions and the number to call to schedule a virtual visit.

See instructions for scheduling with this clinic below.

See instructions for scheduling with this specialty below.

Video: How to prepare for and complete your visit

Call the clinic’s number above to set up a virtual care appointment. If you will need an interpreter during your visit, please ask for one during this call. Your clinic will send your virtual visit appointment, including the appointment link, to either your MyChildren’s account (preferred) or to the email address that you give them.

Printable instructions, Printable checklist

Before your virtual visit

  1. Download Vidyo to your device.
  2. Perform a test call right away following these testing instructions.
  3. Make sure you have an appointment by checking your MyChildren’s Message InBox or your email for the link to your virtual visit. Call your clinic if you cannot find your appointment. Note: The appointment information and link can be pasted into your personal calendar.
  4. Gather your child’s medications, medical records, any recent lab results and be able to provide your child’s current height and weight.
  5. Send any photos/images that your clinic has asked for using your MyChildren’s account following these photo sharing instructions.
  6. Submit any forms requested by your clinic.
  7. If you would like other family members to join the virtual visit, have them download Vidyo to their device and send them the link to your virtual visit by email or text. Have them join the virtual visit 5-10 minutes prior to appointment time.

Day of your virtual visit

  1. Make sure you’ve done a test call from your device (see above).
  2. Find the virtual care visit appointment that you received from your clinic in your MyChildren’s Message InBox or by email. Contact your clinic right away if you can not find your appointment.
  3. 5-10 minutes before your appointment, click on the appointment link or copy and paste the link into your web browser (Google Chrome for Windows or Safari for Apple) to start your virtual care visit.
  4. Enter the patient’s name, then Join/Connect.
  5. Wait for the Children’s Minnesota care team to join the visit.

Need help?

Please call your clinic if you have any questions about your appointment or if you can’t find the link for your virtual visit.
For any questions about your MyChildren’s account, call 877-621-8014.
For technical questions about the virtual visit, call 952-992-5400.

Thank you for using Children’s Minnesota virtual visits for your child’s care.

Scheduling a virtual visit

  1. Call the clinic’s number above to set up a virtual care appointment.
  2. If you will need an interpreter during your visit, please ask for one during this call.
  3. A MyChildren’s portal account is needed for a virtual visit with this clinic. To enroll in MyChildren’s, ask the patient registration staff at your clinic or call Children’s Minnesota Health Information Management at 612-813-6216.
  4. On the day of your appointment, log in to your account 10-15 minutes before your appointment to join the virtual care visit.

Download the PDF below for full instructions to prepare for and log in to your virtual visit

Printable instructions

Before your virtual visit

  1. Test your computer, tablet or mobile phone ahead of time. The easiest way to test your device is to conduct a Tech Check before each appointment.
  2. Write down any concerns you’d like to discuss with your provider, and up-to-date medical history.
  3. If needed, send photos to your provider through your MyChildren’s account. Use these instructions to upload:  photo sharing instructions.
  4. Submit any forms requested by your clinic.
  5. If other family members are joining the virtual visit, have their email or phone number ready so the Children’s Minnesota team can invite them when you have joined the visit.

Need help?

Instructions

Call the clinic’s number above to set up a virtual care appointment. The clinic will send a message with instructions to either your MyChildren’s account (preferred) or to the email address that you give them.

Please gather medications and medical records prior to your appointment.

Please call your clinic if you have any questions about your appointment or if unable to locate the link for your virtual visit.

Instructions

Call the clinic’s number above to set up a virtual care appointment. You will receive information on how to access your appointment.

Please gather medications and medical records prior to your appointment.

Please call your clinic if you have any questions about your appointment or if unable to locate the link for your virtual visit.

Click here for documents that will be discussed when scheduling your virtual care visit.