Michele C. Lim named Telehealth Medical Director of Ambulatory Care Services

Michele C. Lim was appointed telehealth medical director for Ambulatory Care Services at UC Davis Health on July 1 to advance efforts to increase patient access to care and help address physician workforce shortages.  

Lim, a professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, has served as the vice chair and medical director of the Eye Center since 2008. 

As telehealth medical director, Lim leads efforts to help colleagues across UC Davis Health and partner organizations optimize telehealth services, improve care delivery and expand access to specialized care throughout Northern California. 

“Telehealth is essential to expanding access and connecting patients with specialized care,” said Debbie Aizenberg, chief physician executive of UC Davis Medical Group and chief medical officer for ambulatory care. “Dr. Lim’s expertise and leadership will help guide UC Davis Health’s growth of virtual care that is safe, effective and centered on our patients’ needs.” 

Increased e-consults boost access to ophthalmology care  

“Telehealth is an integral part of the care we deliver at UC Davis Health,” Lim said. “It is increasingly how patients first connect with our health system and access their physicians, and it is transforming how healthcare is delivered.” 

Lim has already seen significant results from increased use of e-consults in Ophthalmology at a time when the service line was short-staffed and flooded with referrals for glaucoma evaluations. E-consults reduced patient wait time to see a glaucoma specialist to about four days compared to the traditional in-person referral pathway, which is about three months.  

Among the e-consult patients Lim’s group saw, 25% did not need an in-person visit with a glaucoma specialist, freeing appointments for higher-acuity patients. E-consults improved access and helped focus specialty services where they were most needed – getting patients the right level of care at the right time.  

“We’re excited to partner with Dr. Lim to help shape the future of patient-centered care at UC Davis Health by expanding our digital health and telehealth programs,” said James Marcin, director of the UC Davis Center for Health and Technology. “These technologies allow us to connect patients and providers across UC Davis Health, regardless of location, to ultimately improve lives.” 

A leader in ophthalmology and innovation 

Before telehealth became commonplace, Lim led the implementation of the UC Davis Eye Center’s electronic health record (EHR) system. As one of the nation’s first ophthalmology practices to adopt an EHR, the Eye Center helped lay the foundation for coordinated, technology-enabled care. 

Lim has published extensively on electronic medical record adoption and related policies, bringing a research-informed perspective to the use of technology in clinical care. 

Telehealth at UC Davis Health 

UC Davis Health has been at the forefront of telemedicine for more than three decades. Its pioneering work began in 1992 under the leadership of Tom Nesbitt and James Marcin with provider-to-provider consultations designed to expand access to specialty care for rural and underserved communities. 

UC Davis Health later helped establish the California Telehealth Network, extending access to telehealth services across the state. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health system rapidly expanded patient-to-provider video visits, making virtual care an integral part of ambulatory care.