Rural hospitals who are experiencing provider shortages can utilize telemedicine platforms that come completely staffed with physicians who are fully trained in providing virtual care, and at a much less expensive rate. Telemedicine platforms who come staffed with 24/7 physician coverage are the perfect solution for small rural hospitals whose emergency departments get overwhelmed with patients not experiencing a true emergency. Patients can access a doctor from home and leave the resident physicians available for truly urgent conditions. Most physicians who staff a telemedicine platform are not primary care physicians, so there is no risk of losing patients to outside providers. In most cases, the physicians can help refer patients back to the hospital for other medical needs.