TelaDoc Medical Services raised $9 million in additional investments to fund its next phase of growth, the company stated in a press release. The investment round's lead investor was HLM Venture Partners, but healthcare-focused investment group Cardinal Partners contributed along with existing investor, Trident Capital.

Teladoc describes itself as a national network of board certified, licensed primary care physicians (PCP) that diagnose illness, recommend treatment, and prescribe medication, for its members over the phone -- and it's phone line is always open. TelaDoc bills itself as an alternative consultation service for minor medical problems, including respiratory infections, allergies, urinary tract infection, minor joint trauma (sprains & strains), arthritic pain, consultation for international and domestic travel as well as immunization planning.

The company's call-in service is an attractive add-on for many, typically data and text-focused wireless health offerings coming to market. One Teladoc partner is Healthagen, which has developed an smartphone application called iTriage. The app hopes to empower consumers to make better healthcare decisions through access to relevant medical information, transparency around quality, and information and access to local healthcare facilities. iTriage helps consumers evaluate their symptoms, lists potential diagnoses and provides locations for treatment, but it also offers a 24/7 consultation hotline, which is powered by Teladoc. Here's more on iTriage: More

For more on Teladoc's round of funding: Read the company press release