One weekend, Michelle, a medical assistant and mother who lives in Brooklyn, was housebound with a fever and vomiting. Severe nausea prevented her from keeping down fluids, and she was becoming weak from dehydration.

“It got to the point where I wanted to go to the emergency department, but I couldn’t even walk as far as the distance to the bathroom,” she says.

That’s when she remembered receiving an email about NYU Langone’s Virtual Urgent Care. Michelle scheduled the first available online doctor visit using the NYU Langone Health app on her phone. Within 10 minutes, she was explaining her symptoms in detail to Gregory W. Simon, MD, from the comfort of her bed.

“It was like having a doctor in my home,” Michelle says.

Dr. Simon told Michelle that she likely had a stomach virus that would run its course and prescribed medication to relieve the nausea. Her husband picked up the prescription from their local pharmacy, and within 15 minutes of taking it, Michelle’s nausea subsided, allowing her to start eating and drinking again.

“I was able to regain my strength,” she says.

“Virtual Urgent Care provides the comfort of having a doctor within your own home. Not having to leave the house makes a huge difference.”—Michelle, Age 33

Michelle turned to Virtual Urgent Care again 2 months later, when her 12-year-old daughter had an asthma attack coupled with seasonal allergies. Unsure if it was safe for her daughter to take different medications together, Michelle scheduled an online doctor visit that same night. “I didn’t want to wait until the next morning—I wanted reassurance,” Michelle says.

Annalee M. Baker, MD, assured her that it was safe to take the allergy and asthma medications at the same time, giving Michelle peace of mind while she scheduled an in-person visit with her daughter’s pediatrician, Alexis S. Papageorge, MD.

“I now swear by Virtual Urgent Care,” Michelle says. “It bridges the gap between your home and the doctor’s office. More people need to know it’s available.”