Conditions treated
Type 2 Diabetes Care by Telehealth in Florida
Type 2 diabetes is well suited to telehealth. Most of the work is reviewing your numbers, adjusting medication, and ordering labs, and none of that requires you to sit in a waiting room. You will need bloodwork at a lab near you and an in-person eye and foot exam once a year, and everything else can happen by video.
What ongoing diabetes care actually involves
Diabetes care is not one appointment. It is a long series of small adjustments, and the point of having the same provider each time is that those adjustments build on each other instead of starting over.
At a typical visit we look at three things together: what your glucose readings have been doing, how your medications are working and whether anything about them is hard to keep up with, and what your labs show. Then we change one thing at a time, and you know why.
The numbers we watch
- A1C, usually every three to six months. This is the closest thing to an average of your blood sugar over the previous three months. Goals are individual, and a reasonable target for many adults is under 7 percent, but it is set higher for some people, particularly if low blood sugar is a risk.
- Home glucose readings, if you check them. Bring the meter or the app to the visit. Patterns matter more than any single number.
- Kidney function, checked yearly with a blood test and a urine test, because diabetes is one of the most common causes of kidney disease and early changes are silent.
- Cholesterol and blood pressure, because in diabetes these drive cardiovascular risk as much as glucose does.
How labs work when there is no office
Lab orders are sent electronically to a draw site near you. You walk in, they take the blood, and results come back to the practice. We then go over them together rather than leaving you to decode a portal message on your own.
If you already have recent labs from another provider, bring them. There is no reason to repeat a test that was done six weeks ago.
Medication changes
Diabetes medications get adjusted often, and that adjustment is one of the clearest wins for telehealth: a fifteen-minute video visit to review how a new dose is going beats taking half a day off work for the same conversation.
Prescriptions and refills are sent directly to the pharmacy you use. If cost is a problem with a medication, say so. It is a common reason people quietly stop taking something, and there is usually an alternative worth trying.
What still needs to happen in person
Being straightforward about this matters more than being convenient.
- A dilated eye exam every year with an eye doctor. Diabetic retinopathy causes no symptoms until it is advanced.
- A foot exam at least yearly, and sooner for any sore, numbness, or change in color. Between visits, look at your feet regularly.
- Blood draws and vaccines, at a lab or pharmacy near you.
When not to wait for an appointment
Go to an emergency room or call 911 for confusion, trouble breathing, persistent vomiting, or a blood sugar you cannot bring up or bring down. Severe low blood sugar and diabetic ketoacidosis are emergencies and cannot be managed over video.
Questions about type 2 diabetes
Can a nurse practitioner manage diabetes by telehealth in Florida?
Yes. Kirsis Perez, ARNP, FNP is a board-certified family nurse practitioner licensed in Florida with full practice authority, which means she evaluates, diagnoses, orders labs, and prescribes independently. Florida also permits primary care to be delivered by telehealth to patients located in the state.
Do I need to already have a diagnosis to book?
No. If you have had a high glucose or A1C result, or symptoms like unusual thirst, frequent urination, or unexplained weight loss, that is a reason to book. Diagnosis starts with labs, which can be ordered after a first video visit.
How often will I be seen?
Usually every three to six months once things are stable, and more often while a medication is being started or changed. Follow-up intervals are set at the end of each visit, so you always leave knowing when the next one is.
Can you prescribe GLP-1 medications like semaglutide?
Medication decisions are made case by case based on your history, your labs, and what your insurance will cover. Bring it up at your visit and you will get a straight answer about whether it is appropriate for you.
What if my blood sugar has been fine for years?
Then visits are mostly about keeping it that way: confirming the medication still fits, checking kidney function and cholesterol, and making sure nothing is drifting. Stable does not mean unmonitored.
Do you take my insurance?
Coverage varies. Check the appointment request page for current insurance and self-pay information before you book.
This page is general health information, not medical advice, and reading it does not create a provider-patient relationship. Decisions about your care should be made with a clinician who knows your history.
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Get type 2 diabetes looked at
Request a video visit from anywhere in Florida. Same provider each time, in English or Spanish.