Kaiser Permanente and Intermountain were some of the earliest adopters of telemedicine and have been using virtual methods to improve health outcomes, lower medical cost and free up bed space. In a May 2023 Harvard Business Review article, Robert Pearl, former CEO of Oakland, Calif.-based Permanente Medical Group, and Brian Wayling, executive director of telehealth at Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare, share their system’s strategies. In an attempt to reduce costly and unnecessary emergency department visits, Kaiser Permanente patients have the option to access a 24/7 video health center in which they can be quickly connected with a physician to determine the next course of action.