Whether you’re looking to network in telehealth or take the final step in launching a telemedicine practice, there are federally-funded telehealth resource centers ready to help. Here’s a rundown of their recent activities.
Education is a primary part of NRTRC’s mission. To fulfill that need, NRTRC offers a number of different educational opportunities, ranging from our annual Regional Telehealth Conference to our monthly webinars (both regional and national) to Telehealth Toolkits to White Papers. We offer educational materials tailored to all levels of Telehealth participation, whether it be newly forming networks or seasoned providers looking for more information on a specific topic. Follow the links at www.nrtrc.org to review our archived resources from each of our educational opportunities. If you have educational needs not addressed on our website, drop us a line and let us know what you’re looking for.
Make plans to join us for our 6th Annual AL Telehealth Summit on August 17 at the UAB Hill Student Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Conference registration and sponsorship information can be found www.gatelehealth.org/about/conferences.
SETRC Telehealth Workgroups have been formed to (1) provide insight and direction regarding the advancement of telehealth, and (2) encourage collaboration among existing telehealth networks and programs. Follow us on Twitter @SETRCUS.
Hear from frontline experts on making telehealth work at the 3rd Telemedicine & Telehealth Service Provider Showcase (SPS 2017) Oct. 2-3 in Phoenix, AZ. Speakers will provide useful, practical advice on how to get ready for telehealth, how to choose your perfect clinical tele-services partner, how to champion telehealth legislation in your state, how to negotiate win-wins with payers, and how to integrate offsite providers into your organization. You’ll hear directly from researchers on outcomes data, from a Medicare contractor on understanding the fine print, and from technology innovators on what’s next. SPS speakers are confirmed—go to ttspsworld.com for details. SPS 2017 also will feature an expo hall to showcase the latest clinical and technology trends in telehealth. Poster abstract deadline is June 30: Submit your abstract now! ttspsworld.com/call-abstracts.
At gpTRAC, we have a four-part mission: build telehealth awareness, promote education, provide individualized consultation, and provide data specific to telehealth services in our region. We promote healthcare services that take advantage of modern telecommunications technologies such as interactive videoconferencing, secure Internet transactions, and home health monitoring.
While we focus on solving healthcare delivery problems for rural providers and their patients, we work with clinics of all sizes and locations to help solve problems of access to and quality of care using telehealth applications. We can also help health organizations navigate other challenging areas in telehealth, including legal concerns, regulatory issues, appropriate technology, the implementation process, and financial issues.
On May 12, 2017, the Texas State Legislature passed SB 1107, a law expanding the use of telemedicine in the Lone Star State. The bill is now on its way to Governor Abbot’s desk where he is expected to sign it into law. SB 1107 allows physicians in Texas to use telemedicine to establish a valid physician-patient relationship without the need for an in-person exam. The change is the product of months of negotiations between medical boards, regulatory agencies, and industry groups and may finally bring an end to the longtime telemedicine standoff in the Lone Star State.
We are hosting telemedicine 1.0 workshops across Texas to provide healthcare admins resources and tools to develop and sustain telemedicine programs. Join us in Austin on June 14th or Dallas July 14th. Our annual Rural Health at The Crossroads conference is slated for June 21st-23rd in Amarillo, TX. texlatrc.org for more details.
Bassett Healthcare Network has acquired a new telehealth platform to connect with 15 school-based health centers (SBHC) to bring telehealth to students in rural New York state.
We are thrilled to congratulate this year’s NETRC Conference Keynote Speaker, Elizabeth Krupinski, for receiving the ATA President’s Award for Individual Leadership!
We continue to watch for new funding opportunities that may be of interest to you. The most notable RFA that has been released in the past month may be from the New York State Department of Health to expand Project ECHO. We are also eagerly awaiting the release of the USDA Distant Learning and Telemedicine Grant.
Stay tuned for updated reimbursement fact sheets and an announcement about the new Northeast Telehealth Leadership Forum to support collaborative problem solving across the region.
Whether you are just starting out in telehealth or already have experiences and need guidance, stop by one of our open session to get your answers. Open session are on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM with Jay Ostrowski. As the president of Behavioral Health Innovation (BHI), Jay develops, sells and deploys online mental health applications, and serves as an advisor and telemental health consultant for the Mid Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center.
Because rural primary care providers are challenged by little or no access to services that can assist in delivering much needed chronic disease care, East Carolina University (ECU) created TeleTEAM, a telehealth model that connects patients to an off-site diabetes care team during primary care office visits at their local clinics. Visit www.matrc.org/ for additional updates.
Be a resident of the state.
Have at least one-quarter practice in that state.
Be employed at a health care system in the state.
For more information, please contact HTRC at 877-643-HTRC.
The founder of IMST Innovations, Aneel is a certified telehealth coordinator who works with organizations to develop sustainable telemedicine solutions. He is Telemedicine Magazine's liaison to The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers.