HealthSpot Shutters Its Telemedicine Kiosk Operations

January 7, 2016 - HealthSpot appears to have shut down much if not all of its operations.

The company abruptly closed the futuristic kiosks that allowed patients to electronically communicate with doctors from 25 Rite Aid drug stores across Ohio, according to a statement from Rite Aid.

The kiosks also are gone from Cleveland Clinic facilities. The Clinic was "notified over the holidays that they are discontinuing their clinical operations," according to an email from Eileen Sheil, executive director of corporate communications for the hospital system.

HealthSpot CEO Steve Cashman didn't immediately return a message from Crain's Cleveland Business.

The Dublin, Ohio-based company formed relationships with the Clinic, MetroHealth and University Hospitals over the past few years, and it looked like things were going well for the company when it announced that it had opened the Rite Aid kiosks this past July.

Here is the full statement from Rite Aid:

"On Monday, Dec. 28, Rite Aid was notified by HealthSpot of its intention to cease operations effective Thursday, Dec. 31. As a result, the 25 HealthSpot stations located inside select Rite Aid pharmacies in Cleveland, Akron/Canton and Dayton/Springfield will no longer be available to Rite Aid patients and customers after 5pm Thursday, Dec. 31.

"Rite Aid appreciated the opportunity to offer HealthSpot services to our patients and customers over the past year. We believe very much in the value of telehealth and will continue to explore options to offer such services in the future."

In a story Crain's published last August, HealthSpot's Cashman said the company's biggest challenge to growth was customer awareness.

From that story:

After all, walking into a giant box and chatting with a doc through a monitor isn't your average health care encounter. But don't knock it until you try, he said. "You didn't use Uber until you tried Uber," said Cashman, referring to the popular ride-sharing app. "There's definitely a customer-awareness issue."

By: Chuck Soder
Posted on Crainscleveland.com

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