Hello Northwest Regional, Northwest Region:

2025 Telehealth Survey Is Now Open!

The NRTRC is pleased to announce that our sixth annual NRTRC Telehealth Survey is now open! This important survey helps us track the evolving landscape of telehealth across the Northwest region and tailor support for those implementing and sustaining virtual care services. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes and is intended for individuals and organizations that currently deliver or plan to implement telehealth services. Click here to take the survey now!

Join Us for an Important Conversation on Increasing Access to Diabetes Management

NRTRC presents "Living Well with Diabetes," a webinar on diabetes education and empowerment. Discover innovative strategies and tools to support patients living with diabetes through education and technology.

Date: Thursday, July 31, 2025

Time: 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. MDT

Where: Zoom webinar

This webinar introduces a flexible diabetes education program designed for delivery in-person or via telehealth by trained, supervised staff with input from providers. We will review the educational content (PowerPoint and guidance documents), which are customizable for organizations to adapt and brand for their use.

While diabetes self-management and education support (DSMES) programs are typically led by certified diabetes care and education specialists (CDCES) such as nurses, registered dietitians, and pharmacists, many rural or under-resourced settings lack access to people with this specialized training. These training materials help fill that gap by equipping trained staff or lay educators to empower adults with type 2 diabetes by strengthening their knowledge base and self-managing their diabetes effectively.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about this unique option to overcome the common barriers for patients to participate in diabetes education.

In this session, we will:

Rethink how we can deliver diabetes education
Showcase the structure and customizable slide content used to support diabetes education sessions
Highlight the opportunities, best practices, and considerations for diabetes education delivered by trained staff

News

CMS Releases CY 2026 Proposed PFS

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just released the CY 2026 Proposed Rule of the Physician Fee Schedule.

CMS CY 2026 Proposed Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) reflects forward movement for virtual care in several key areas.

Submit your comments. The comment period is open through September 12, 2025.

Highlights related to telehealth and digital health:

Adds new remote monitoring codes, scaling 2–15 days of data and clinician time in 30 days for RPM and RTM.
Removes telehealth frequency limits for inpatient, nursing facility, and critical care visits.
Expands G-code coverage for digital therapeutics (DMHT) to treat ADHD.
Seeks comment on even broader digital health reimbursement, including tools for chronic disease management and mental health support.

Per the American Telehealth Association (ATA), the proposed rule does not address a requirement that raises serious concerns around provider safety, administrative burden, and operational costs. CMS must act to permanently allow providers to bill Medicare using their practice address instead of home address, a simple step to protect privacy and security, especially for mental health professionals. You can express concerns by submitting a comment to CMS.

See the complete list of highlights from ATA Actions Summary.

Regional News

Save the Date for NRTRC's August Webinar

Join us for our August webinar, "The Power of Wearables: Bridging Data and Disease Management." Presenters Jordan Berg, Stasi Kasianchuk, and Pattie Carr will highlight the latest wearable technology and health management tools reshaping chronic disease prevention. Learn how clinicians and patients use real-time data to drive meaningful outcomes in nutrition, fitness, and long-term health.

Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Time: 12–1:30 p.m. MDT

Where: Zoom webinar

Learning objectives:

Identify the latest wearable technologies and digital health peripherals (e.g., smartwatches, rings, biosensors) used to collect patient-generated health data (PGHD) relevant to chronic disease prevention and management.
Explain how real-time biometric data, combined with AI-powered tools, can support personalized care strategies for preventing, managing, and in some cases reversing chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and certain cancers.
Evaluate evidence-based applications of wearable data across nutrition, physical activity, and clinical interventions to improve patient engagement and long-term health outcomes across diverse populations.

Utah Leads the Nation in Internet Connectivity—with Help from the Utah Telehealth Network (UTN)

In a recent op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune, UTN CEO Spencer Jenkins, alongside other Utah connectivity leaders, highlighted the urgent need to close Utah’s digital divide.

The piece emphasizes that access to broadband and digital tools is fundamental to healthcare, education, and economic opportunity, especially in underserved communities.

As the parent organization of the NRTRC, UTN continues to champion digital access and infrastructure that supports all Utahns.

TeleBehavioral Health 101 Is updated!

We’re excited to announce the re-launch of the newly revised TeleBehavioral Health 101 Series—a practical, free, self-paced online training designed to help behavioral health professionals deliver effective, equitable, and person-centered care through telehealth.

This seven-part series covers essential topics, including clinical engagement, technology, ethics, risk management, billing, and digital equity. Whether you are new to telebehavioral health or want to strengthen your foundation, this series provides practical tools and insights to support high-quality virtual care.

Now live on our learning management system
Module 1, Introduction to TeleBehavioral Health and Policy Overview, meets Washington State’s telehealth training requirement (SSB 6061)
Engage in sessions at your own pace and in any order that suits you.
Complete a session evaluation for a personalized Certificate of Completion.
Each session offers one credit of Continuing Medical Education (CME) for a nominal fee. For more information, please visit the Continuing Education & Accreditation page.

Start learning today and empower your virtual practice. Access the training here.

Events to Bookmark in 2025

July

Leveraging Telehealth in Pediatric Obesity Care: A Multidisciplinary Model with Big Impact

Jul 23 @ 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Organizer: National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers

Dr. Valerie O’Hara will share insights from the TeleWOW program—a cutting-edge telehealth model transforming access to pediatric obesity care in rural and underserved areas. She’ll highlight how integrating medical, nutrition, and behavioral health professionals can significantly improve outcomes for young patients managing chronic disease.

2025 Healthcare AI Bootcamp Session 3: AI Applications in Healthcare 2.0

Jul 23, 2025 @ 1 p.m.–2 p.m.

Organizer: Healthcare AI Bootcamp

Attendees will learn how AI applications are already improving diagnostics, enhancing patient care, and streamlining operational efficiencies while addressing critical considerations such as ethics, regulations, liability, payment, and patient safety.

Living Well with Diabetes—Diabetes Education & Empowerment Training by Trained Staff

Jul 31, 2025 @ 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Organizer: Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center

This webinar introduces a flexible diabetes education program designed for delivery by trained staff with provider input and supervision. It can be used in group settings, one-on-one, or virtually. We will review the content—aligned with the eight core Diabetes Self-Management and Education Support (DSMES) components—and explore implementation strategies.

Read more about this event in our story, "Join Us for an Important Conversation on Diabetes Management."

August

TeleNutrition: Expanding Access to Care—A Telehealth Roundup Webinar

Aug 7, 2025 @ 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Organizer: South Central Telehealth Resource Center

The next edition of the Telehealth Roundup webinar series will be "TeleNutrition: Expanding Access to Care," presented by Linda Pennington, MS, RDN, LDN, President and Owner of Dietitian Associates, Inc. In this discussion, we will define telenutrition and the basic components needed to get started, identify relevant state and federal regulations (i.e., licensure, consent, HIPAA compliance), describe routes of reimbursement, and illustrate lessons learned using real-life scenarios.

2026 Proposed Updates for MPFS Telehealth Billing and Reimbursement

Aug 12, 2025 @ 1 p.m.–2 p.m.

Organizer: Arizona Telemedicine Program

Join us for an update on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the 2026 proposed updates for the physician fee schedule (with some OPPS tidbits tossed in as well). Learn about changes and potential impact to our medical practices in 2026.

2025 Healthcare AI Bootcamp: Hybrid Virtual and In-Person Sessions 4–7

Aug 12, 2025

Los Angeles, CA (for in-person sessions)

Organizer: Healthcare AI Bootcamp

Session 4—L eveling Up: AI Awareness and Anticipation

Consolidate foundational knowledge from previous sessions and gain critical insights into the broader AI environment, uncovering opportunities and risks.

Session 5—Risk and Responsibility in Healthcare AI

Explore the lifecycle of AI systems and the risks that can emerge at every stage, from ideation and design to implementation and long-term use. Through real-world examples, participants will learn how data selection, system validation, and deployment decisions can introduce vulnerabilities.

Session 6—What You Don't Know Can Hurt You: AI and Revolving Regulations

Dive deep into the rapidly evolving regulatory and legal landscape for healthcare AI. Attendees will learn about compliance requirements for tools like chatbots, scheduling systems, and decision support technologies.

Session 7—Next Steps: Being a Healthcare AI Ambassador for Responsible Use

In the last session of the Healthcare AI Bootcamp, participants will leave with actionable next steps and tools to kickstart being an ambassador for responsible AI use in healthcare.

TeleBehavioral Health 2025: Clinician's Duty to Protect in an Era of Telehealth—Legal and Clinical Considerations in Washington

Aug 15 @ 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Organizer: University of Washington Behavioral Health Institute

The mental health clinician’s duty to protect others from the violent acts of their patients is complicated and raises legal and clinical questions. This talk will review the standard in Washington, which is an outlier compared to other states. The talk will discuss practice pointers and consider a variety of clinical settings, including telehealth.

Connecting Rural Health: Telehealth Strategies for Chronic Disease Prevention

Aug 15 @ 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Organizer: Southwest Telehealth Resource Center

This dynamic, interdisciplinary conference addresses the unique healthcare challenges faced by rural communities. Join healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers, and technology innovators to explore how telehealth solutions can be leveraged to prevent and manage chronic diseases in medically underserved populations. Attendees will learn from engaging experts and gain actionable insights into the latest telehealth technologies, evidence-based strategies, and collaborative models that are transforming chronic disease care in rural settings. Topics include digital health, remote monitoring, behavioral health integration, patient engagement, policy frameworks, and sustainable funding mechanisms. Connect with thought leaders and change-makers working to bridge the rural health gap—advancing innovation, improving outcomes, and promoting health across rural areas.

NACHC Community Health Institute and Expo 2025

Aug 17–Aug 19

Chicago, IL

Organizer: National Association of Community Health Centers

This event is the premier gathering of the nation’s Community Health Centers, the largest network of primary care providers in the nation. Currently serving one in 11 Americans, NACHC aims for health centers to serve one in three Americans as the nation’s healthcare employer, provider, and partner of choice. The conference will provide attendees with the latest in science, education, practice, and policy that health centers need to stay competitive and financially stable.

The Power of Wearables: Bridging Data and Disease Management

Aug 27 @ 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Organizer: Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center

This webinar highlights the latest wearable technology and health management tools that are reshaping chronic disease prevention. Learn how clinicians and patients alike use real-time data to drive meaningful outcomes in nutrition, fitness, and long-term health.

September

TeleBehavioral Health 2025: Low Barrier Treatment at Scale—The Development and Growth of a Telebupe Hotline

Sep 19 @ 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Organizer: University of Washington Behavioral Health Institute

Washington State is experiencing a worsening opioid and illicit fentanyl crisis, with overdose deaths sharply increasing, particularly in rural and underserved counties. To address this, the UW Telebuprenorphine (Telebupe) program was launched in King County to provide free, low-barrier, on-demand telehealth access to buprenorphine, helping patients initiate treatment during moments of acute need and bridging them to ongoing care. This patient-centered approach is now being scaled statewide to reduce opioid-related deaths and improve equitable access to evidence-based treatment.

Do You Provide Healthcare or Services via Telehealth?

Map of the western United States with the words "Enroll your TAP today!"

NRTRC’s Find Telehealth helps patients and providers find in-person care, telehealth care, and locations to have telehealth visits. Turn on the map's TAPs button to view sites.

Click Here to Update Information on Your Practice

Click Here to Add a TAP

Northwest Regional State Telehealth Websites

Telehealth Resources

Telehealth Tools and Resources: Find up-to-date telehealth tools and resources.
Professional Development: Visit NRTRC's catalog of online telehealth training courses.
Updated legislation and regulations: Keep up with regulations and proposed legislation for the states of the Northwest Region.
Research : Find current research opportunities, research articles, and survey results.

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