Healthcare does not always fit neatly into a busy schedule. Between work, family responsibilities, appointments, travel, and everyday life, finding time to see a doctor can feel like one more item on an already full to-do list.
That is one reason telehealth has become an increasingly useful option for patients. Telehealth can make certain types of healthcare more convenient by letting patients connect with their healthcare provider without always having to travel to the office.
At Cullman Internal Medicine, convenience is an important part of providing patient-centered care. Our practice works to make healthcare accessible while maintaining the personal relationships that are important to long-term health.
What Is Telehealth?
Telehealth is healthcare provided through technology rather than exclusively through an in-person visit. Depending on the appointment type and the patient’s needs, telehealth may let a patient communicate with a healthcare provider through a secure video visit or another form of electronic communication.
In simple terms, telehealth allows you to have certain healthcare conversations with your provider at Cullman Internal Medicine from another location.
Telehealth is not intended to replace every in-person medical appointment. Some health concerns require a physical examination, laboratory testing, imaging, or another type of hands-on evaluation. Instead, telehealth can be another tool for providing appropriate care when an in-person visit is not necessary.
We can help determine whether a telehealth appointment is appropriate for your particular concern.
Why Can Telehealth Be Helpful?
One of the biggest benefits of telehealth is convenience. A traditional office visit may require arranging transportation, taking time off work, finding childcare, or spending extra time traveling to and from the appointment. A virtual appointment can sometimes eliminate some of those challenges.
For patients who have busy schedules, limited transportation, mobility concerns, or difficulty getting away from work or family responsibilities, telehealth may make it easier to stay connected with their healthcare provider.
Convenience can also make it easier to keep up with ongoing healthcare needs. When getting care is simpler, patients may be more likely to stay engaged with their treatment plans and maintain regular communication with their healthcare team.
Telehealth Can Save Time
Time is another important consideration. An in-person appointment involves more than the time spent with your provider. You may need to drive to the office, park, check in, wait for your appointment, and travel home afterward.
Depending on the type of visit, telehealth may reduce some of that time commitment. For example, a follow-up discussion about an existing health concern may not always require a physical examination. In situations like these, a virtual appointment can let you discuss symptoms, medications, treatment plans, or questions with us without the same amount of travel.
That can be especially helpful for patients who live outside Cullman or have difficulty fitting an office visit into their day.
Telehealth and Chronic Condition Management
Managing a chronic health condition often involves regular communication with your healthcare provider. Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, respiratory conditions, and other ongoing health concerns may require monitoring and periodic adjustments to a treatment plan.
Not every follow-up conversation requires the same type of in-person evaluation. When appropriate, telehealth may provide an additional way for patients and providers to stay connected between office visits.
Of course, chronic disease management still requires appropriate medical monitoring. Laboratory testing, physical examinations, imaging, and other services may need to be completed in person.
Cullman Internal Medicine offers a broad range of services for established patients, including on-site laboratory services, diabetes management, cardiac testing, X-ray, ultrasound, bone density testing, and other diagnostic services.
Telehealth can complement these services when a virtual visit is appropriate rather than replacing the in-person care that certain conditions require.
A Convenient Option for Follow-Up Care
Follow-up appointments are another situation where telehealth may be useful.
After an initial evaluation, your provider may want to discuss how you are responding to treatment, answer questions, review your progress, or decide whether you need additional care.
When a physical exam or testing isn’t necessary, a virtual appointment can be an efficient way to have that conversation. This can be especially helpful when you already know your provider and have an established healthcare relationship.
At Cullman Internal Medicine, building long-term relationships with patients is central to our practice’s patient-centered approach. The goal is to understand each patient’s individual health history, concerns, and goals rather than treating every appointment as an isolated event.
Telehealth Does Not Replace Your Medical Home
Think of telehealth as an option within your overall healthcare plan, not a replacement for your primary care provider. A strong relationship with your healthcare team provides continuity. Your provider can become familiar with your medical history, medications, health concerns, lifestyle, and long-term goals.
Here at Cullman Internal Medicine, we pride ourselves as a convenient home for comprehensive primary care, with services for established patients that extend beyond routine appointments. Our practice also offers specialty services including sleep medicine, weight loss medicine, sports medicine, acupuncture, and other areas of care.
Having this broader healthcare relationship can be valuable because your care can evolve as your needs change.
When Is an In-Person Visit Better?
Although telehealth can be convenient, it is not appropriate for every situation. Some health concerns require a physical examination or diagnostic testing. Chest pain, significant injuries, difficulty breathing, severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, or other potentially serious problems may require immediate in-person medical attention or emergency care.
Likewise, routine wellness visits, certain examinations, vaccinations, laboratory testing, imaging, and procedures generally require an in-person appointment. The key is not to decide between telehealth and in-person care on your own. Instead, talk with your healthcare team about which type of appointment fits your situation.
Making Healthcare More Accessible
Modern healthcare is about more than simply treating illness. It is also about making it easier for patients to access appropriate care and stay involved in their health.
Telehealth is one way technology can support that goal.
For some patients, a virtual appointment may mean less time away from work. For others, it may reduce transportation challenges or make follow-up care easier to manage. For busy families, it may provide additional flexibility when scheduling healthcare appointments.
At Cullman Internal Medicine, this emphasis on accessibility fits naturally with the practice’s larger focus on personalized, comprehensive care. The practice has served the Cullman community for more than 40 years and continues to provide adult and geriatric healthcare with an emphasis on compassionate, patient-focused care.
Talk With Cullman Internal Medicine About Your Care Options
Healthcare should fit into your life whenever possible, while still providing the level of medical attention you need. Your experinece with telehealth at Cullman Internal Medicine can be a convenient option for certain appointments, particularly when a physical examination or diagnostic testing is not necessary. It can help patients stay connected with their healthcare providers while reducing some of the practical challenges associated with an office visit.
If you are an established patient at Cullman Internal Medicine and are wondering whether telehealth may be appropriate for your next appointment, contact the office to discuss your options. The team can help determine the most appropriate way to address your healthcare needs.
Katie is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with over 15 years of experience
Bethany is a board-certified family medicine Nurse Practitioner. She grew up in Cullman, watching her father, a physician, and her mother, a nurse, care for patients with both their hearts and hands. She learned from them that not only working hard, but loving and treating patients like family would develop the career that best suited her desire to help others. She has been caring for patients at Cullman Internal Medicine for 25 years. Building long-lasting relationships with her patients is important to her, and she genuinely enjoys being a part of their lives. She strives to provide compassionate, competent medical care which fosters an environment of mutual trust and respect.
Bobi Jo Creel is a board-certified Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ANCC-ACNP) with over 20 years of nursing experience. Born and raised in Cullman County, Alabama, she is deeply committed to providing compassionate, high-quality care to adults and seniors in her local community.
Alicia is from Thomasville, Ga, but practiced in Burlington, Iowa from 2017 until joining Cullman Internal Medicine in 2025. Most of Alicia’s experience is in rural primary healthcare, which is where she learned of her passion for caring for patients with diabetes. From 2023 – 2025, her sole focus was assisting individuals in manage their condition more effectively, with a strong emphasis on long-term health and prevention of complications.
Pam is a lifelong resident of Marshall County and a graduate of Albertville High School, Class of 1976. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1981. Pam began her career in emergency and critical care nursing, serving in both the ER and ICU. When Marshall Medical Center North (MMCN) opened in 1990, she became the Nurse Manager of the ICU.
Stacey Varden is a board-certified Nurse Practitioner who works alongside Dr. Jeremy Stidham in Internal Medicine. She earned her Master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and collectively has over 18 years of nursing experience. Before becoming a Nurse Practitioner, she served as a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department at Children’s of Alabama, where she developed a strong foundation in acute and compassionate patient care.
Lorie Jones is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner born & raised in Cullman, Alabama. Her nursing career began in 1997 after earning her Licensed Practical Nursing diploma from Wallace State Community College, followed by an Associate Degree in Nursing in 2000. She gained extensive clinical experience working at both Woodland Medical Center and Cullman Regional Medical Center before advancing her education to become a nurse practitioner.
Mollie Dockery, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with a passion for providing compassionate, evidence-based care to patients of all ages. With over 14 years of nursing experience and two years in advanced practice, Mollie brings a deep understanding of patient needs, especially in managing chronic conditions and promoting preventive health. Her approach is rooted in empathy, education, and a strong commitment to individualized care.
Kristy is known for providing personalized, expert care in Sleep and Lung Health, where she empowers patients thru education, awareness, supportive listening and compassionate guidance. A Cullman native, Kristy is deeply rooted in our community and shares a sincere
With over 15 years of nursing experience, Nancy Cornell is a dedicated and compassionate Family Nurse Practitioner (NP) committed to providing high-quality care to her patients. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Western Governors University in 2017, she went on to complete her Master’s degree in Nursing in 2022. For two years, Nancy has been a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, applying her expertise in community urgent care to treat a diverse range of health needs.
Clark Still is a Licensed Professional Counselor with Cullman Internal Medicine. Clark is also the founder of New Beginnings Counseling of Cullman. He specializes in Christian-Based Professional Counseling.
Charlie Thornton has spent more than 24 years caring for others in a variety of healthcare roles—including paramedic, registered nurse, and for the past 10 years, nurse practitioner. He began his training at Wallace State Community College, completed his nursing degree at Jacksonville State University, and went on to earn graduate degrees from the University of South Alabama, where he became board certified as both a Family Nurse Practitioner and an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.
Jeremy Stidham, M.D., is a board-certified internal medicine physician who has been caring for patients in Cullman for more than 15 years. He currently serves as President of Cullman Internal Medicine and the Cullman Physician Alliance, where he works alongside a team of dedicated colleagues to provide compassionate, patient-centered care.
Nathan is a highly experienced Nurse Practitioner with a rich background spanning over two decades in healthcare. For the past ten years, Nathan has been a vital part of the CIM team as a Nurse Practitioner, also serving as a hospitalist nurse practitioner when needed. His extensive foundation was built over 19 years as a critical care registered nurse. Nathan is an alumnus of Wallace State Community College (RN), Jacksonville State College (BSN), and UAB (MSN), holding his nurse practitioner certification from the ANCC.
Dr. Benjamin Rogers obtained a degree in Classical Studies from Hillsdale College before attending medical school at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. He then completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University. He joined Cullman Internal Medicine in 2012.
Morgan McHugh, CRNP, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with a special focus on diabetes management. A native of Hartselle, Alabama, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Dr. Erin Britt is a compassionate physician proudly serving her local community as a hometown provider. Raised in Cullman, Alabama, Dr. Britt graduated from Cullman High School. Her desire to care for others lead to enrollment at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM), where she earned her medical degree.
The goal of my practice is to help patients achieve optimal health. Eating a balanced diet, exercising, taking care of our mental health, and achieving quality sleep are all crucial for feeling good and living a healthy, enjoyable life. However, sometimes weight gain and hormone imbalances can get in the way.
Naykala is a Triple Board-Certified physician with over 25yrs of experience, dedicated to delivering comprehensive patient-centered care. Her practice emphasizes a whole-body approach, combining traditional Internal Medicine with advanced training in Obesity Medicine and Medical Acupuncture. She evaluates complex medical conditions with a focus on identifying root causes–especially those contributing to weight gain—and provides thoughtful, integrative treatment plans. Naykala’s 10 years of service in the U.S. Air Force deepened her commitment to non-pharmacologic pain management, and acupuncture has become a meaningful part of how she cares for patients.
Dr Parker grew up in Cullman County and attended West Point High School. His path to medicine was not direct. After high school, He attended Wallace State Community college and received an associates degree in business. Shortly after graduating Brian was married to his wife Karen. Unsure of what to do next he left his job as a butcher for the local Walmart distribution center where he would work for the next 7 years. After reflecting on his goals and desire to help others he decided to pursue medicine.
Dr. Vintson is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician originally from Cullman. She graduated medical school from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Auburn, AL, and completed residency training at UAB Family Medicine in Huntsville. Dr. Vintson practices medicine seeing the patient as a whole person, understanding there are many components of one’s life that affects overall health and wellness. She loves seeing a variety of patient ages throughout her day and feels this is what makes family medicine and primary care so special. In addition to routine primary care she especially enjoys women’s health and preventative medicine, including Pap smears and menopause care, as well as diabetes management, nutrition, and mental health care. Dr. Vintson loves the Lord and enjoys time on the lake with her family, fishing, hunting, gardening, and podcasts. She has two young children and a loving husband of 12 years.
Dr. Adam Harrison is proud to serve his hometown of Cullman as a dedicated physician. A local from East Elementary through Cullman High, he earned his Biomedical Sciences degree from Auburn University, completed medical school at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and his residency at UAB Huntsville Family Medicine. Drawn by the opportunity to give back to his community, Dr. Harrison chose to build his career at Cullman Internal Medicine.