Greetings Northwest Region:

Call for Abstracts for the 2022 NRTRC Conference

Reminder: The Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center seeks abstracts for oral and poster presentations for the 2022 NRTRC Telehealth Conference. The deadline for abstracts is March 21 and the event will be held Sept. 26-28, in Salt Lake City. This year’s conference theme is Innovations in Telehealth. The NRTRC is interested in presentations from organizations that have developed innovative and successful telehealth programs despite facing the challenges of the past two years. We are seeking presentations that align with — but are not limited to — the following categories:   Clinical telehealth programs and applications Innovative telehealth models (i.e. hospital to home, libraries as originating sites) Intersection of artificial intelligence & telehealth Telehealth and diversity, equity and inclusion; and special populations (medically underserved, rural, tribal, veterans, immigrants and refugees, economically disadvantaged Value-based telehealth models including remote patient monitoring (RPM) & remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) TeleBehavioral health Telehealth quality improvement, research & data metrics Patient or caregiver experiences via telehealth, including overcoming patient barriers Submit Abstracts Here For questions, please email info@nrtrc.org or visit  https://nrtrc.org/conference/ and Services Administration, DH

2021 NCTRC Annual Report Released The NRTRC is proud to be one of the 12 regional Telehealth Resource Centers that make up the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers. Our mission is to advance the development, implementation, and integration of telehealth programs in rural and medically underserved communities. The past year was a year like no other. As our nation faced an entire calendar year under the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCTRC continued to rise to the challenge of addressing the nation’s need for telehealth technical assistance. Learn more about the roles each Telehealth Resource Center plays and the impact they have had in their regions in the 2021 NCTRC Annual Report.

10 Steps for FQHCs & RHCs to Implement CMS’ Redefined Mental Health Services Starting January 1 mental health visits for Medicare beneficiaries at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) have been redefined by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). To expand access to patients and to help providers comply with new rules, NRTRC recently created this must-have checklist.

Upcoming Events & Webinars

Advancing Health Equity Among the Hispanic Population | Session 4: Improving Health Care Digital Literacy Among Hispanic Populations: This four-part series will include discussions about factors in health disparities, barriers to health equity, and successful strategies to improve access to care and health equity among Hispanic populations. Also, participants will receive information on HRSA programs to support health equity efforts. Feb. 16, 11 a.m. to noon. Affordable Connectivity Program Webinar with the FCC: Join the Utah Broadband Center as the FCC joins us to explain what the Affordable Connectivity Plan is and how it can help low-income households get affordable internet. Visit https://business.utah.gov/broadband/acp/ for more information and how to enroll. Feb.16, 11 a.m. to noon. NCTRC Webinar — Pandemic Response Action Plan and the Opportunity to Use its Lessons to Improve Healthcare: This webinar will dive into lessons learned from the Pandemic Response Action Plan project, a workgroup conducted by the Telehealth Technology Assessment Center. Topics will include 11 key critical challenge areas, a review of potential weaknesses in organizational response, and organizational opportunities that can help improve response to a pandemic public health emergency. Feb 17, Noon to 1 p.m. Sharing is (Critical) Caring: How everything old is new (to CMS). Learn about the new split-shared update to critical care (another modifier!) and how this may affect your tele-critical care services. Feb. 22, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. HRSA webinar on innovative rural programs: This webinar will feature two recipients from HRSA’s Telehealth Network Grant Program, which promotes rural tele-emergency services to rural providers without emergency care specialists. Feb. 28, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Conferences to Look for in 2022 HIMSS 2022: The HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition offers healthcare professionals the information and solutions they need to reimagine health and wellness for everyone. March 14–18.  ATA 2022: The American Telemedicine Association's annual conference will examine how to establish telehealth as a permanent modality in care delivery. The conference will explore practical applications of telehealth, offer hands-on workshops, and discuss visions of telehealth’s future. May 1-3 in Boston, Mass. NRHA Health Equity Conference: The National Rural Health Association's conference is intended for those dedicated to bringing quality health care services to underserved and under-represented populations. May 10 in Albuquerque, N.M. NRTRC Annual Conference 2022: Innovation in Telehealth: The Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center's annual conference is scheduled for September 26-18 in Salt Lake City, Utah. APHA 2022: 150 Years of Creating the Healthiest Nation: Leading the Path Toward Equity. The American Public Health Association's annual conference will be held Nov. 6-9 in Boston, Mass.

Search for a Telehealth provider in your state or in the Northwest Region by using the NRTRC's Telehealth Finder tool. You can find a provider near you, or search by the type of specialty care service you are seeking.

Telemedicine for the Future Provider Dr. Stephanie Lyden, Assistant Professor for Vascular Neurology Telehealth is a rapidly expanding technologies that have been adopted by medical professionals as a new means of delivering care. However, many medical schools haven't trained their students in how to conduct these visits. There is also a lack of awareness in how this technology is used within different subspecialties. I teach a course for medical students that aims to provide a foundational understanding of the current practice of telemedicine and telemedical devices across multiple sub-specialties. It gives instruction on the practical application of how to complete telemedicine consultation in the outpatient and emergent care settings. Through this curriculum, we hope to equip our students with an operational skill set that will better prepare them to enter the evolving world of telemedicine. As part of this course, students complete the NRTRC's Telehealth 101 Course. I feel that this is a great foundational overview of telehealth. We have received great feedback from students regarding the content in this module, and I would highly recommend this module to individuals hoping to gain a well-rounded overview of telehealth.

Northwest Regional State Telehealth Website Links Alaska Collaborative for Telehealth and Telemedicine Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Montana Telehealth Alliance Telehealth Alliance of Oregon Utah Telehealth Network Washington State Telehealth Collaborative Washington State Department of Health Wyoming Telehealth Network

Telehealth Resources Telehealth Tools and Resources: Find up-to-date telehealth tools & resources. Professional Development: Visit NRTRC's catalog of online telehealth training courses. The Telehealth Resource Centers have gathered resources specific to Federally Qualified Health Centers. Example resources include a Critical Access Hospital Telehealth Guide and a webinar on Telehealth Essentials for FQHCs. Emergency Declarations: Check on the emergency status in your state.  Updated legislation and regulations: Keep up with regulations and proposed legislation for the states of the Northwest Region. Research: current research opportunities, research articles, and survey results.

Grant Funding Opportunities Refer to the funding page on the NRTRC website for updated grant opportunities.

Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center “This publication was made possible by grant number UiUTH42531-01 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHS”