Dear Colleagues;
Happy Friday! The dog days of summer have come and passed and they sure were busy! Just this past month of August saw request for comments and information regarding telehealth services from various federal agencies, multiple grant award announcements regarding projects with telehealth components, and so many other exciting opportunities for innovation and collaboration!
Last month we made mention of the
Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) vote to adopt a
notice of proposed rule
establishing the
Connected Care Pilot Program
to support the development of telehealth services and delivery for low-income Americans, especially among rural and veteran populations. This follows a Notice of Inquiry for comments on the program originally made in July 2018. The FCC proposed to adopt a $100 million budget, and removed a cap on number of projects to award with a three-year funding period. The FCC accepted public comments regarding this proposal over the month of August, with the due date being on August 29th.
The NETRC team worked with the National Consortium of TRC's to submit comments as a collaborative effort. We were also able to join in on the stakeholder conversations regarding public comments convened by State agencies as requested; we hope you took the opportunity to provide your insights as well! The comments submitted are typically made public within a month of the submission deadline, and we'll be sure to share when they are released.
Speaking of public comment periods, we want to remind all of our colleagues that in late July,
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services released their
Proposed PFS Codes for Calendar Year 2020,
continuing the annual aim of improving the quality of care, and reducing administrative burden.
Comments
on the proposal are due Sept. 27, 2019.
In the 2020 PFS Code Proposal, CMS includes new codes for providers and clinicians to manage their care transitions and coordination through digital health methods, along with proposing 3 new bundled care codes regarding the use of telehealth services in the case of Medication Assisted Treatment.
Colleagues across the region worked over recent grant proposal cycles, including opportunities within HRSA and USDA, and the NETRC team was thrilled to see so many successful awardees within the region, across multiple funding opportunities!
Just in the past month,
HRSA awarded nearly $400 million to combat the nation’s opioid crisis, and nearly all awards have telehealth components within their scope of work!
With their first award announchement,
HRSA awarded $200 million to more than 1,200 health centers across the nation (and roughly 23 million to 171 different sites within the NETRC Region!) to boost access to
integrated behavioral health services
.
Another $111 million was awarded to 96 rural organizations in 37 states under the
Rural Communities Opioid Response Program
,
including over 20 entities across MA, NH, NY, ME, and VT.
Congratulations to all who were among the newly awarded grantees, we're excited to see how you move forward with all of this important and innovative work! To stay on the grant funding focus, we want to remind colleagues to check grants.gov and other various funding sources often this time of year, there are several opportunities currently open! With that iincluding:
HRSA-20-026:
"
Rural Health Network Development Planning Program " and
HRSA-20-025:
"Rural Health Network Development Program".
Keep reading to learn more about our upcoming Telehealth Leadership Forum Kick-Off meeting on September 4, upcoming national and regional conferences, webinars, Telehealth News Stories, and more.
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions, for more information on the news below, to share your successes, or just to say hello!
On Behalf of the NETRC Team - Be Well,
Reid Plimpton, MPH - Project Manager
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NETRC Telehealth Leadership Forum Updates
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After a great set of initial responses and registrations, the NETRC Team is happy to be holding the Telehealth Leadership Forum Kick-Off Meeting on
Wednesday September 4th, 2019 at 10am EST!
Join the NETRC team and over 35 different telehealth leaders and innovators across our 8 state region as we discuss future meeting topics, burning questions, and strategize about sustainability in telehealth implementation with a guest facilitator!
Bring your questions and coffee, we'll see you all on the 4th!
If you are unable able to attend our first meeting, fret not! Future meeting topics, dates and times are still being finalized:
Register Today!
Typically, the Forum events will typically follow a format of:
-A predetermined regional or national speaker focused on a key topic area
-Q&A
-Regional Updates
-"Shop Talk"- An open floor for stakeholders to ask questions, gain input from others, and discuss anything telehealth.
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Upcoming Conferences/Events
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Don't Miss the 2019 National Telehealth Resource Symposium!
This event will connect health researchers, academicians and visionaries in telehealth and telemedicine to share findings and foster research partnerships.
The three-day session in Chicago, IL will begin the morning of September 11th and conclude on the afternoon of September 13th. The 2019 event will continue upon the original initiatives set by the Society for Education and the Advancement of Research in Connected Health (SEARCH).
Find this event and more at the
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Upcoming Regional and National Conferences
APHA 2019
| November 2-6, 2019 | Philadelphia, PA
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Upcoming & Archived Webinars
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Coming up Soon!
September 19th - 2:00pm Eastern
National TRC Webinar Series:
ETHAN: Emergency Telehealth and Navigation
In December of 2014 HFD EMS launched an innovative program called ETHAN (Emergency Telehealth and Navigation Program) that utilizes advanced video/audio conferencing technologies. The video conferencing application connects the patient with an emergency physician for patient assessment and evaluation analogous within a hospital emergency room. While the encounter is taking place, the field crew remains on-scene to assist the physician with any additional patient information. This community-based mobile integrated healthcare system provides individuals who call 911 with low-acuity complaints to be triaged by telehealth emergency physicians for non-ambulance (taxi-cab, self-transport) and/or non-ED destinations (primary care clinic, home care) based on individual depositions. ETHAN has successfully increased efficiency and reduced the cost of emergency care by minimizing the use of EMS and ED’s.
Click on the image above, or
here
to register today!
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And in case you missed it:
May 1
National TRC Webinar Series for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
Part 1: Telehealth and Chronic Care Management
June 28
National TRC Webinar Series for Federall Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
Part 2: Using Telehealth to treat Substance Use Disorder in a CHC Setting
July 18
National TRC Webinar Series
An Overview of Cyber Security
Hosted by:National Telehealth Technology Assessment Resource Center (TTAC)
Presented by: Jordan Berg
August 15
National TRC Webinar Series
PATH and Healthcare Transformation: Advancing Robotics and AI in Healthcare
August 27
NCTRC Webinar Series for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
Part 3: Telehealth and Mental/Behavioral Health
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Using telemedicine to treat Opioid Use Disorder in rural areas-
JAMA Medical News & Perspectives, August 28, 2019
Link
The benefits of using telehealth to enhance access to treatment for opioid use disorder in rural areas is highlighted and promising programs for behavioral treatment in West Virginia and Maryland are profiled.
Care coordination tech to drive social determinants of health care
mHealth Intelligence, August 13, 201
9
Link
The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) is partnering with Unite Us, a community care coordination platform, to build a statewide network of social and clinical services providers to address the social determinants of health.
Telehealth use jumps at inpatient facilities while outpatient adoption remains flat: survey
Fierce Healthcare, August 12, 2019
Link
Telehealth adoption among hospitals and health systems is on the rise—up from 54% in 2014 to 85% in 2019—while adoption among outpatient healthcare facilities remains flat, according to two new reports.
When it comes to telehealth reimbursement, ‘just start billing’
Home Healthcare News, August 11, 2019
Link
The use of remote patient monitoring (RPM) is becoming more common with in-home care providers, progress that is accelerating after CMS added new codes for such services. In the face of uncertainties on code application, one agency was told by them “Just start billing and we’ll see how it goes.”
Dartmouth-Hitchcock unveils telemedicine ICU unit
Becker’s Hospital Review, August 9, 2019
Link
Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center launched its new telemedicine intensive care unit program to help extend care to critically ill patients at rural hospitals.
Florida deploys telehealth portals in 63 public schools
Government Technology News, August 9, 2019
Link
Florida recently announced the installation of telehealth portals in 63 public schools with a goal of providing mental health services to students still recovering from Hurricane Michael.
Connecticut empowers DSS to expand Medicaid coverage of telehealth services
National Law Review, August 7, 2019
Link
A new law that became effective this July revises the criteria and process by which the Connecticut Department of Social Services determines the telehealth services covered by the Medicaid program. A priority is now set to consider whether telehealth services are likely to expand access to medically necessary services where there is a clinical need for those services.
Maine’s telehealth hopes need broadband to become reality
Portland Press Herald & Government IT News, July 29, 2019
Link
This story covers how broadband communications are essential for providing reliable telehealth services but many areas of rural Maine still don’t have the broadband Internet or cellular network access needed. NETRC Director Danielle Louder provided an overview on model programs, progress, and barriers to telehealth in Maine.
Mobile telehealth units and care coordinators improve emergency care services for rural Arizona patients
Rural Health Monitor, August, 2019
Link
On overview of a telehealth program in eastern Arizona emergency medicine describes progress and outcomes of use of telemedicine-equipped ambulances by first responders and of remote monitoring intervention by care coordinators for patients discharged from area hospitals.
Mount Sinai uses telehealth to improve care management for IBD patients
mHealth Intelligence, August 6, 2019
Link
New York's Mount Sinai Health System is using a telehealth platform to boost care management for patients with inflammatory bowel disease, giving both them and their care providers more opportunities to collaborate.
New study ties prescription rates to telehealth, doctor ratings-
mHealth Intelligence, August 5, 2019
Link
Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have once again tied the use of a telehealth platform to higher antibiotic prescription rates for children with respiratory tract infections - and better reviews for those doctors.
FCC tweaks rural health care program to aid telehealth expansion-
mHealth Intelligence, August 2, 2019
Link
The Federal Communication Commission is making changes to its Rural Health Care Program in a bid to boost telehealth expansion in rural America. But some commissioners are wondering if the changes will have the desired effect.
CMS proposal adds telehealth to opioid abuse treatment via Medicare-
mHealth Intelligence, July 30, 2019
Link
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is proposing new CPT codes and bundled episodes of care that will support care providers who use telehealth to treat patients dealing with opioid use disorder.
Anthem partners with startup K Health on symptom checker and telehealth app-
MedCity News, July 22, 2019
Link
The health insurance provider Anthem has tapped primary care startup K Health to launch a new co-branded app to help their 40 million policy members determine potential diagnoses and text with doctors for medical advice.
SNF telehealth adoption hampered by capital and cultural obstacles-
Skilled Nursing News, July 28, 2019
Link
Skilled nursing providers are becoming increasingly interested in telehealth technology as a way of improving clinical outcomes and reducing care costs. However, systemic obstacles such as poor reimbursement combined with narrow financial margin are slowing adoption by SNFs.
VA telestroke program improving care for Veterans-
U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, July 23, 2019
Link
Emergency stroke care for veterans continues to improve thanks to the expansion of VA’s National Telestroke Program, one of the first nationwide telestroke programs in the world.
The program was launched in 2017 and now provides acute stroke services in over 30 VA medical centers.
Maine still waiting for internet health care revolution-
Portland Press Herald, July 28, 2019
Link
Poor broadband and out-of-step Medicare policies relegate Maine's use of telehealth to small niches when it should be in the mainstream.
ATA releases 2019 update of state-by-state telehealth report cards-
mHealth Intelligence, July 19, 2019
Link
The American Telemedicine Association has updated its survey of state telehealth coverage and reimbursement policies and laws, which was last issued in 2017:
press release and link
(requires a free registration).
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Recommended Telehealth Research/Resources
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Bauerly BC, McCord RF, Hulkower R, Pepin D.
J. Law Med. Ethics 47(Suppl. 2):
39-42, 2019
Becker CD, Dandy K, Gaujean M, Fusaro M, Scurlock C.
Permanente J. 23:
2019;23. 18-293, 2019
pdf
Cole B, Pickard K, Stredler-Brown A.
Int. J. Telerehabil. 11(1):
33-40, 2019
Hardy D, Winocour P, Moore-Haines K, et al.
Future Healthcare J. 6(Suppl 1):
143, 2019
Johnston DC, Mathews WD, Maus A, Gustafson DH.
Subst. Abuse 13:
1178221819861377, 2019
Laing SS, Alsayid M, Ocampo C, Baugh S.
J. Patient Cent. Res. Rev. 5(3):
204-217, 2018
Pariser P, Pham TT, Brown JB, Stewart M, Charles J.
Annals Fam. Med. 17(Suppl 1):
S57-S62, 2019
Scurrey S, Garland SN, Thoms J, Laing K.
Rural Remote Health 19(3):
5269, 2019
Wein EH, Lacktman NM, Ferrante TB.
Health Care Law Today
, August 6, 2019
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The Northeast Telehealth Resource Center (a proud member of the
National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers) aims to increase access to quality health care services for rural and medically underserved populations through Telehealth. Our service area includes New England, Northern New Jersey, and New York. Learn more at
www.netrc.org
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This newsletter was made possible by grant number G22RH30352 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHS
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