New Infectious Disease Leader Marks Continued Demand for Specialists

Eagle Specialist, Dr. Richard Prokesch, Assumes Infectious Disease Medical Director Role

ATLANTA, Ga. (May 11, 2021) — Today Eagle Telemedicine announces the appointment of Dr. Richard Prokesch as Infectious Disease Medical Director.

“Dr. Prokesch has served for three years as an infectious disease TeleHospitalist at Eagle, showing his commitment to providing expert patient care and mentoring new Specialists,” said Dr. Talbot “Mac” McCormick, Chief Executive Officer of Eagle Telemedicine. “In this new role, he will provide leadership in guiding our infectious disease programs as we seek to better serve Eagle Telemedicine clients, their patients, and communities.”

Dr. Prokesch joined Eagle in 2018 as an infectious disease telemedicine provider, where he has experienced first-hand the tremendous need among small hospitals needing this specialty. His role as Medical Director for infectious disease will allow Eagle to work more closely with administrators and medical directors using infectious disease telemedicine services.

In his new role, Dr. Prokesch will provide oversight of Eagle’s infectious disease program, including specialists providing telemedicine services. He will also consult with hospital administrators and medical directors on using telemedicine, specifically Infectious Disease.

In addition, Dr. Prokesch will assist in Eagle’s recruitment and interview process of infectious disease specialists. This includes providing orientation and training of new telemedicine specialists. He will also develop guidelines for Eagle’s infectious disease specialists to ensure consistent and high-quality patient care.

In addition, Dr. Prokesch will continue his work as an Eagle Specialist serving hospitals in rural Kansas, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.

In addition, Dr. Prokesch will continue his work as an Eagle Specialist serving hospitals in rural Kansas, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.

During Dr. Prokesch’s tenure at Eagle Telemedicine, the company launched training initiatives, developed telemedicine technology to improve the efficiency of remote care, and expanded protocols to work more effectively with onsite clinical teams and the patients they serve.

Over the past year, Dr. Prokesch has witnessed the growth in need for infectious disease Specialists. “Small community hospitals were already realizing the need for backup support in this specialty, so their local doctors could get a little time off,” he explains. “But with the pandemic, the need grew exponentially and changes in Medicare regulations made it possible for Eagle’s specialists to help.”

During the past year, Eagle has signed multiple new contracts with hospitals and is actively recruiting and training infectious disease Specialists to meet the increasing need.

“I was lucky to have Dr. McCormick as a long-time colleague, friend and mentor when I joined Eagle Telemedicine, and I will provide that same mentorship for new recruits,” says Dr. Prokesch. “I’ve found telemedicine to be very enjoyable, working with medical staff and patients in all parts of the country. You’ve got to be a bit tech-savvy to do this work, and if you enjoy working with patients, it’s a great opportunity for physicians, with a very flexible schedule.”

Dr. Prokesch will also work more closely with hospital boards and CEOs. “If a hospital is considering telemedicine services, I’ll talk virtually with the hospital leadership to explain how infectious disease telemedicine works and how successful it can be for hospitals who have that service.”

During his years with Eagle, Dr. Prokesch has continued seeing patients at his infectious disease clinical practice in Atlanta, work that began over 30 years ago.