Virtual care isn't a feature. It's the future care model nobody in healthcare wants to admit is already here.

At HLTH 2025, we sat down with Michael Dalton, CEO and founder of Ovatient, to unpack the real story behind why rural and urban patients alike are falling through the cracks and how Ovatient built the first truly integrated virtual multi-specialty practice on Epic.

This conversation exposes three uncomfortable truths in healthcare:

1. Access is still broken. Millions delay care because transportation, work schedules, stigma, or geography get in the way.

2. Telemedicine wasn't enough. Single-visit, transactional virtual care doesn't build trusted relationships, close care gaps, or keep patients inside a system of care.

3. Health systems are missing billions in preventable leakage. Ovatient's "digital health home" model quietly fixes that.

Dalton breaks down why: • A virtual-first care model that's integrated directly into Epic makes specialists accessible within hours, not months • 95% of patients can be supported at home while still remaining inside their health system • Weight management, behavioral health, primary care, and specialty care all operate seamlessly across one unified patient journey • Virtual care isn't cannibalizing brick-and-mortar — it's expanding the funnel

If you care about access, equity, referral management, or the economics of keeping patients connected to a system of care… this episode will challenge everything you think you know about "telemedicine."

Ovatient isn't building a digital front door. They're building the digital health home. And it's changing the game.

🎧 Listen now and rethink everything you thought "virtual care" meant.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Ovatient and Its Purpose

01:49 The Virtual Multi-Specialty Care Model

05:36 Integration with Health Systems

09:19 Building Trust in Healthcare

12:29 Closing Care Gaps with E-Consults