Dear Colleagues,
We hope you're doing well, and have safely navigated the recent stretch of "interesting" weather across our region as spring gets underway!
We're back with another edition of Northeast Connections to help you prepare for a summer filled with telehealth opportunities and events, and beyond! As you've come to expect, the NETRC team has what you need to catch up, and lots of telehealth updates to share with you this month! T his edition aims to help you digest the multitudes of things happening across the telehealth landscape; including: more exciting annoucements about NETRC2024, NCTRC member Resources, Upcoming Webinars & Events for 2024, & so much more!
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with your telehealth questions, success stories, or just to say hello; we hope to hear from you!
On behalf of the entire NETRC Team – Be Well,
Reid Plimpton, MPH - Project Manager
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Upcoming Webinars & Events |
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NETRC 2024 Conference Website is now Live! |
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The upcoming event on September 16th through September 18th will mark NETRC's 10th Annual Regional Telehealth Conference, and we're excited to celebrate the milestone with you! Stakeholders from across the seven-state NETRC region (New England & New York) and beyond will share telehealth best practice and innovation, network with colleagues, and identify opportunities to advance telehealth.
Our 2023 conference brought over 175 healthcare providers, administrators, payers, policy leaders, and industry partners from across the region to Nashua, New Hampshire. This year, we’re returning to Nashua, at a new location. With a number of recent policy developments on both the national and regional level, along with many new programs to highlight throughout the Northeast, we are confident that the 2024 event will be our best conference yet!
The event will follow the social distancing protocols necessary, but will have the same fun & content packed agenda you've come to expect at a NETRC conference: 2.5 days of in person sessions, covering a broad spectrum of topics for a diverse audience, with a focus on highlighting regional programs providing practical strategies and resources for successful and sustainable implementation!
Please see below for Event & Registration Details, our Call for Abstracts, agenda teasers, and opportunities to become an Exhibitor or Industry Partner!
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Early Bird Special Pricing
expires 7/1/2024
Full Registration $200*
September 17th only $150 (full day)
September 18th only $75 (half-day)
September 16th Pre Conference Workshops $40
*Full registration includes September 17-18th sessions, and networking reception.
September 17 Networking Reception included with all tickets
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Venue
The Courtyard by Marriott Nashua welcomes you to southern New Hampshire with beautiful, modern accommodations, and fantastic amenities. Relax and unwind in one of our 239 guest rooms and suites, offering free Wi-Fi, well-lit desks, and deluxe bedding. Start your day at The Bistro, our hotel restaurant, with Starbucks® coffee and a delicious breakfast, or enjoy a full bar and a dinner menu with tableside service in the evening. Additional amenities for your southern New Hampshire-area visit include a fitness center and a newly renovated indoor pool. Located adjacent to the hotel, the Event Center Nashua. Discover a truly refreshing experience here at the Courtyard Nashua. Our hotel is conveniently located near local attractions like Anheuser Busch, Merrimack Premium Outlets and Labelle Winery.
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Submit an Abstract for Our Annual Conference |
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The NETRC Team is excited to announce that we will be hosting our 10th Annual Conference at the Courtyard Marriott in Nashua, NH from Monday, September 16 through Wednesday, September 18.
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Nominate a Colleague for the Michael Edwards Award |
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The Michael Edwards Memorial Award for Advancing Telehealth in the Northeast is presented annually to an individual or organization in the Northeast Region (New England and New York) that has been a part of innovative and impactful efforts to increase telehealth utilization. Extra consideration is given towards applicants working within telehealth avenues that were near and dear to our colleague Michael Edwards, including:
- Community Health Center/Federally Qualified Health Center/ Rural Health Center Based
- Skilled Nursing Facility Based
- Focused in Rural Areas
- Telehealth Research or Innovation
- Population Health
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Exhibitor Opportunities Now Available! |
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The Annual NETRC Conference would not be the same without our valued Industry Partners & Exhibitors, and we're beyond grateful for their continued support over the years! As the conference planning continues, the NETRC Team is excited to see who will join us to be a part of NETRC24, and we'd like to express a big thanks to our current Industry Partners for their participation, and can't wait to see these folks in September!
Don't miss out on your chance to join our event, there's still plenty of space available in the Event Exhibit Hall, and we'd love to see you there!
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National Resources: News & Events from the NCTRC |
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2024 MATRC Summit
In Person April 14-16 | Pocono Manor, PA
Register now to lock in the early bird rate and secure your spot! Discounted Early Bird Registration for #MATRC2024 ends Wednesday, January 31st!
Join our vibrant and collaborative MATRC Community to propel your teleheath aspirations beyond by:
- Exploring practical ideas and analyses
- Learning how to make things happen – even in a fluid policy environment
- Accelerating your telehealth vision
- Developing relationships and becoming part of a community that will last well beyond the Summit
Engage with your telehealth colleagues from DC, DE, KY, MD, NC, NJ, PA, VA & WV to:
- Exploring research based best telehealth practices
- Learning about technical advances (including AI)
- Developing connections to expand your network
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We're thrilled to be a partner of the upcoming #ATANexus event this May 5-7,2024 for a convergence of ideas and innovation in virtual healthcare. Join us for an opportunity to network & learn from the best.
Use promo code NETRC for $300 off a full registration
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ICYMI: Recent Resources and Reports |
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NCTRC Annual Report is now available!
The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (NCTRC) 2023 Annual Report is now available! Through significant expertise and partnerships with stakeholders, the NCTRC rose to the challenge of helping the nation advance telehealth in an ever-changing healthcare landscape. As there continues to be increased interest in the field of telehealth, the TRCs remain committed to providing vital technical assistance, training and resources to the nation’s healthcare system and citizens. For more information, read the full report.
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The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) Presents: New Telehealth Resources for Health Centers
NACHC is excited to collaborate with National Health Center Telehealth Resource Center (TRC) to pilot a project intended to provide technical assistance (TA) to health centers who are determining how and if they will sustain telehealth operations and virtual modalities coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and Public Health Emergency designation (PHE). Find out more about this joint project below.
TA products available:
3. Direct Telehealth Billing Technical Assistance/Triage –Targeted TA for FQHC telehealth billing questions now has a dedicated consultative service available triaged by the Center for Connected Health Policy,
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Telehealth Toolkit Update: Navigating Policies and Best Practices for Medicaid and CHIP Services
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated their toolkit for states on telehealth coverage policies in the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) so that it is relevant now that the COVID-19 public health emergency has come to a close. It provides insights into telehealth platforms, effective billing practices, lessons learned from states amid and post the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), as well as approaches to ensure accessible and culturally sensitive care delivery through telehealth, such as its integration into educational settings. Furthermore, it outlines strategies for telehealth within value-based care frameworks, evaluation methodologies to gauge its impact on quality, outcomes, and costs, and initiatives for effectively communicating, training, and equipping both providers and beneficiaries with telehealth resources.
Among the information the resource provides include:
- A detailed description of the common telehealth modalities
- A section on frequently asked questions, specifically related to benefit flexibility, financing, workforce, managed care, quality reporting, and codes/modifiers and the Medicaid system.
- A description of Medicaid trends throughout the recent years, with a focus on five states specifically (Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin).
- Strategies for delivering services via telehealth to specific populations.
- Operational consideration of implementing telehealth
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The toolkit also contains various appendices that contain helpful resources such as a checklist of policy questions for states to use to assess their telehealth policies, and a comparison chart of fee-for-service and managed care telehealth policies. To access all the resources, explore CMS’ full state telehealth toolkit for Medicaid and CHIP.
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USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant
Posted Date:Feb 29, 2024
Current Closing Date for Applications: April 29, 2024
Estimated Total Program Funding:$ 5,000,000
Award Ceiling: Awards range from $50,000 to $1 million
The program helps rural communities acquire and use advanced telecommunications technology for distance learning and telehealth services. The grants fund audio and video equipment, broadband facilities, and computer hardware, network components, and software.
The program is open to eligible organizations providing education or healthcare in rural communities with populations of 20,000 or fewer. The organizations eligible include state and local governments, federally recognized tribes, nonprofits, and incorporated for-profit businesses.
To learn more and apply go here
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Upcoming Webinars and Events |
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Join Project ECHO: Aging, Community, and Equity to learn about the impact of the pandemic on the mental and physical well-being of older adults living in rural communities and share potential solutions. There is no cost to participate. Please see the flyer for additional information.
Intended audience:
- Medical, behavioral, and social service providers
- Nursing facility, home health, home care, and hospice
- Transportation and other community-based organizations
- Any other individuals or groups across the long-term care continuum
Time: Every other Wednesday from 12:30pm-1:30pm EST (February 14 – May 8, 2024)
The project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $475,000 annually with 100% funded by HRSA/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, HRSA/HHS or the U.S. Government.
This project is funded by HRSA and is brought to you by CARE2, a collaboration between Medical Care Development and University of New Hampshire Institute for Health Policy and Practice.
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AHRQ Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use
Two million infections per year are caused by antibiotic resistant organisms, leading to 35,000 deaths per year in the United States. Meanwhile, one-third of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions and half of the prescriptions for acute respiratory infections are unnecessary. Learn how to improve patient safety and reduce harm associated with antibiotics in a free 18-month AHRQ program that starts in June 2024.
We’re recruiting clinics and providers that want to improve antibiotic prescribing.
Benefits of Participating:
- Improve efficiency and patient satisfaction with antibiotic prescribing, using approaches such as scripting for live and patient portal interactions.
- Perform better on antibiotic-related quality measures (e.g., Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set [HEDIS], Merit-based Incentive Payment System [MIPS], and The Joint Commission Antimicrobial Stewardship standards).
- Receive continuing education credits (CEUs), continuing medical education credits (CMEs), and American Board of Internal Medicine Maintenance of Certification (MOC) points through live and/or self-paced materials.
Virtual Program Includes: Monthly 20-minute webinars and office hours to learn best practices in the treatment of common outpatient infectious concerns through live interactions with infectious diseases experts.
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Featured Telehealth News
A larger news compilation can be found on the NETRC site here.
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Telehealth cuts no-show odds in half among trans, gender-diverse youth
mHEALTHINTELLIGENCE March 26, 2024 Link
Telehealth lowered the likelihood of no-shows by 56 percent among transgender and gender-diverse youth in rural areas, a recent study reveals.
Female, chronically ill patients more likely to use telehealth
mHEALTHINTELLIGENCE March 26, 2024 Link
Over 40 percent of patients used telehealth in 2022, but certain groups are more likely to use the care modality than others, new research reveals.
How RPM can scale and sustain CMS' hospital at home program
HealthCareITNews March 25, 2024 Link
Karin Schifter-Maor discusses how remote patient monitoring can bring the Acute Hospital Care at Home program to more people, make the program affordable and use centralized patient data to improve health outcomes.
HHS Updates Pixels and Trackers Guidance for HIPAA Regulated Entities
Foley & Lardner LLP March 21, 2024 Link
Pixels, cookies, and trackers continue to be front of mind for HIPAA regulated entities seeking clarity on their ability to advertise, market, and engage with existing and prospective patients. On March 18, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued updated guidance to its December 2022 Bulletin on the topic “to increase clarity for regulated entities and the public.”
Telehealth enables opioid use disorder treatment during pregnancy
mHEALTHINTELLIGENCE March 21, 2024 Link
New research reveals that a majority of pregnant people remained engaged in telehealth-enabled OUD care, with most carrying to term.
Recent Federal Moves Related to Telehealth
While some very important questions regarding the future of temporary waivers on telehealth policies in Medicare, as well as the prescribing of controlled substances, continue to be unanswered, there have been some new developments in the past few weeks related to federal telehealth policy. Some of the recent discussions in Congress as well as actions by the Biden Administration may provide some insight on the fate of some of these temporary telehealth policies.
Telehealth-based rural caregiver support feasible, cost-effective
mHEALTHINTELLIGENCE March 19, 2024 Link
A new study shows that telehealth-based palliative care support for rural caregivers is cost-effective, with Medicare reimbursement mechanisms available.
Bipartisan lawmakers present bill to solidify telehealth flexibilities
mHEALTHINTELLIGENCE March 15, 2024 Link
The legislation makes several pandemic-era regulatory flexibilities permanent, including reimbursing for audio-only telehealth through the Medicare program.
Center for Connected Health Policy’s Mei Kwong on what to expect for telehealth regulations
HEALTHCAREDIIVE March 14, 2024 Link
Some telehealth provisions could expire by the end of the year unless Congress makes them permanent.
HHS Announces 42 Part 2 Final Rule to Align with HIPAA
JDSUPRA March 14, 2024 Link
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released the long anticipated Final Rule to revise the Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Patient Records regulations at 42 C.F.R. Part 2 (Part 2).
Racial minority IBD patients find mental health apps ‘acceptable’
mHEALTHINTELLIGENCE March 14, 2024 Link
Minority IBD patients experience high rates of anxiety and depression, but a new study shows the acceptability of using mHealth apps to manage their mental health.
Congress Continues to Address AI in Bipartisan Fashion, Launching House AI Task Force as Latest Step
JDSUPRA March 14, 2024 Link
House leadership announced the launch of the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence (AI), a bipartisan group that will develop a report outlining AI regulatory priorities and setting guiding principles to help shape the AI landscape.
How a virtual-first approach can boost patient, provider experience
mHEALTHINTELLIGENCE March 13, 2024 Link
Tufts Medicine launched a virtual-first initiative that offers digital triage and telehealth services, connecting patients to in-person care only when necessary.
U.S. Protectionism in Health Data Flows
JDSUPRA March 13, 2024 Link
As privacy laws continue to proliferate in the U.S. and globally, there is one trend that companies, especially those operating in the health and pharmaceutical sectors, can no longer overlook. This is the trend towards data protectionism at the state and federal levels.
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Recommended Telehealth Research/Resources
Check out the complete Telehealth Library Database on the NETRC site here.
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Using digital navigators to get telehealth care
How do I use telehealth for behavioral health care
Availability of Mental Telehealth Services in the US
Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit
Health equity in telehealth
Telehealth.HHS.gov 2024 Link
Unmet Need Score Map Tool
Preparing mental health providers for the future: the case for moving beyond the elective telehealth course to integrating telehealth training throughout the curriculum
Kathy Wibberly 2024 frontiers Link
Patient Satisfaction With Telemedicine Among Vulnerable Populations in an Urban Ambulatory Setting
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule Summary: CY 2024
Brief History of Telehealth and Telemedicine-
Upper Midwest Telehealth Resource Center; 2023 Link
Rural-Urban Disparities in video telehealth use during rapid mental health care virtualization among American Indian/ Alaska Native
Kusters IS, Amspoker AB, Frosio K, et al; 2023 Link
Telehealth Privacy Tips for Patients
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration ; 2023 Link
Patient Satisfaction with Telehealth at an Academic Medical Center Primary Care Clinic
Verma H, Hasegawa D, Tepper DL, Burger AP, Weissman MA.; 2023 Link
CMS Resource: Maximizing Access to Affordable, High-Quality Health Care Coverage Preparing for Launch: Early Lessons Learned from Health Centers on Selecting New Technology and Tools for Virtual Care
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services; 2023 Link
Preparing for Launch-Early Lessons Learned from Health Centers on Selecting New Technology and Tools for Virtual Care
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Primary Care 2023 Link
Information for Critical Access Hospitals
Medicare Learning Network Link
The State of AI in Maine Digital Report
The Roux Institute Northern Eastern University, 2023 Link
Customizable Communications Toolkit
National Rural Health Resource Center. 2023 Link
NCTRC Annual Report 2022
7 Essential Recommendations for FQHC Leaders to Ensure Success and Sustainability
oatmeal health, 2023 Link
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The Northeast Telehealth Resource Center has been made possible by grant numbers G22RH30352 and 1 U1UTH42523‐01‐00 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth: HRSA / DHHS. |
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