Greetings Northwest Region:
Happy New Year from the staff of NRTRC
Required Washington State telemedicine training is available for free at the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center

Beginning Jan. 1, healthcare professionals licensed under RCW 18.130.040 who provide clinical services through telemedicine in Washington State are required to complete telemedicine training or an alternative telemedicine training as defined by RCW 43.70.495 (4)(a). Allopathic and osteopathic doctors are not required, but encouraged, to complete this training. The Washington State Telehealth Collaborative has partnered with the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center to provide this training and the Certificate of Completion (after successfully passing the required post-test) for free. 
 
For behavioral health and mental health providers, an alternative training has been developed by the University of Washington/Harborview Behavioral Health Institute in collaboration with the NRTRC and the WSTC. This is a six-part series, titled TeleBehavioral Health 101, but completing only the first session and passing the required post-test will result in a Certificate of Completion that meets Washington State Telehealth Training requirements. This entire series is offered at no cost, will award a certificate for each session completed.
 
The Washington State Healthcare Professional Telemedicine Training course was launched on Dec. 14, and as of Jan. 5, 2021 there were more than 7,500 people enrolled and more than 3,500 courses completed. 
NRTRC Virtual Office Hours:
Please join us for NRTRC Virtual Office Hours, an informal discussion around current telehealth opportunities and challenges

Telehealth News:
  • The Center for Connected Health Policies 2020 Legislative Round-up including an extensive fact sheet on the PREP Act with new changes.
  • The NCTRC’s White Paper on Telehealth: With telehealth fast becoming an integral part of the healthcare landscape, a national network of federally funded nonprofit resource centers is giving providers, lawmakers and other connected health advocates the tools they need to understand the territory.
  • Finalized CY 2021 Fact Sheet for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule by Center for Connected Health Policy.
  • Healthcare Coalition Physician Survey Results on Telehealth Impact During the Pandemic
  • 10 Tips to Help You Master Your Telemedicine Visit: A Patient Guide.
  • People with chronic illnesses experience health disparities in telehealth care access.
Upcoming Events & Webinars:

  • University of Utah Office of Outreach Education: Resiliency During COVID-19
This five-part series will cover topics such as the impact of trauma on frontline caregivers, the creation of professional boundaries with family and patients, communicating with families, patients and each other during the pandemic and developing self-care strategies in and around the workplace.
Thursdays, Jan. 7, Jan. 21, Feb. 4, Feb. 18, and March 4 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. MST. Registration
  • NCTRC Telemedicine Hack: National Pandemic Response Best Practices and Lessons Learned.
The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers is hosting the Telehealth Hack. This webinar series will deliver virtual peer-to-peer sessions to support the adoption of telemedicine across the nation. The series began in October, and will continue into the spring. Wednesday, Jan. 13, 12:00-1:00 p.m. MST Registration

  • Telehealth & Medicaid: Waivers and State Plan Amendments to Address COVID-19
Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) waivers and state plan amendments are two key pathways that states have leveraged to expand coverage and healthcare access in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This webinar will highlight the approaches that states have taken to expanding telehealth coverage and access for their Medicaid populations. Attendees will hear from experts representing CMS, North Carolina Medicaid, and the California Department of Health Care Services (Medi-Cal). Jan. 15, 12:00 p.m. MST Registration
 
  • NRTRC/Comagine Health Webinar: Techno-Human Aspects of a Telehealth Visit
This webinar will explore best practices for using technology in ways that are person-centered for both staff and patients alike. Discuss ways to optimize telehealth workflows with a keen eye on patient quality, safety, efficiency and experience. Wednesday, Jan. 20, 12:00-1:00 p.m. MST Registration

  • Telehealth & Medicaid: Provider Engagement and Education
Medicaid agencies have served as an indispensable resource for providers as they navigate temporary policies, new billing requirements, and a rapid increase in telehealth visits. This webinar will provide attendees with an overview of the unique efforts that some Medicaid agencies have taken to support and engage Medicaid providers as they pivot to telehealth delivery. Participants will hear from administrators and policy staff from North Carolina Medicaid, the Nevada Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, and Ohio Medicaid. Friday, Jan. 22, 12:00 p.m. MST Registration
 
  • NCTRC Telemedicine Hack: Post-Acute Care and Long Term Care Facility Pandemic Response Best Practices and Lessons Learned
The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers is hosting the Telehealth Hack. This webinar series will deliver virtual peer-to-peer sessions to support the adoption of telemedicine across the nation. The series began in October, and will continue into the spring. Wednesday, Jan. 27, 12:00-1:00 p.m. MST Registration

  • Telehealth & Medicaid: Patient Engagement and Education
This webinar will provide an overview of the unique efforts that some Medicaid agencies have taken to engage beneficiaries regarding their telehealth policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants will hear from administrators and policy staff from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Friday Jan. 29 Registration
Share Your stories:

On behalf of the University of Washington/ Harborview Medical Center Behavioral Health Institute (BHI), we gratefully acknowledge the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center for its amazing support and collaboration with the BHI during this unprecedented public health crisis created by COVID-19.

To meet this healthcare challenge, front line behavioral health providers across Washington State needed to quickly pivot to provide critical ongoing telemental health and substance use disorder treatment and support. To help these providers be prepared to provide quality telemental health care, the BHI quickly initiated a series of trainings for behavioral health providers designed to provide a telemental health foundation from which these providers would be able to provide a wide range of telemental health services for a broad patient population, especially Medicaid and underserved groups. 

For these telemental health trainings to be successful, the BHI Telehealth Training team quickly realized it needed to partner with the NRTRC, who welcomed this partnership and generously offered resources such as subject matter expert guidance and the telemental health toolkit. Without the support of the NRTRC, these initial telemental health trainings would not have succeeded. Because of their support, hundreds of behavioral health providers completed this training and are providing critical mental health care to their patients. 

It has been a delight to work with the NRTRC staff. We so appreciate how helpful, incredibly responsive, enthusiastic, and generous with their time they have been in supporting our mutual goals, mentoring BHI leadership, and seeking future opportunities for collaboration. 

Sincerely,
The Behavioral Health Institute Telehealth Training Team
Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under G22RH31114, Coronavirus Telehealth Resource Center’s Grant Program in the amount of $325,000. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.”