Dear Colleagues,



We hope you're doing well! June is in full swing and summer is just around the corner, and we anticipate it will build upon what has been a very busy spring for telehealth and healthcare. We know you've got plenty on your plate, so grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and dive into our newest edition of Northeast Connections to help you sort it all out, this edition is filled with policy updates, new TRC resources, upcoming events (in-person & virtual!), and 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 - Program Manager

August 11, 2025

9:30am - 3:00pm ET

Demystifying RCM & ROI for Telehealth: An Interactive Workshop

Hosted by: Northeast Telehealth Resource Center (NETRC) and New England Rural Health Association (NERHA)

Register if you want to:

• Hear from industry experts on revenue cycle management (RCM) for telehealth
• Learn about return on investment (ROI) and sustainability with emergency department telemental health
• Join live problem-solving sessions
• Get your complex questions answered

Register here

NETRC is partnering with Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center and other Telehealth Resource Centers to host Bridging Rural Communities: Telehealth Innovations for Appalachia and Beyond. This full-day, multi-site convening will showcase and document best practices in telehealth across the Appalachia region. Meeting locations will span from Maine to Mississippi.

Attendees can expect to hear short TED-style talks clustered around regional health priorities (mental health, diabetes, substance use disorder, cardiovascular disease, cancer, emergency preparedness) and participate in facilitated discussions to identify best practices, contributing to published proceedings in the Journal of Appalachian Health.

Event details are being finalized. Stay tuned for more details.

NETRC is now on Bluesky Social

Connect with us @northeasttrc.bsky.social‬

Telehealth Policy Finder Updates

CCHP regularly updates their Telehealth Policy Finder look-up tool and Policy Trend Maps based on their ongoing state telehealth policy tracking. Two states in the NETRC service area were recently updated: Massachusetts and New York.

See CCHP's May 13 Telehealth Tuesday newsletter for more.

CMS Public Comment Period on "Digital Health Infrastructure" Open Through June 16

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is "seeking public input on how best to advance a seamless, secure, and patient-centered digital health infrastructure. The goal is to unlock the power of modern technology to help seniors and their families take control of their health and well-being, manage chronic conditions, and access care more efficiently."

The CMS Newsroom has more information here.

How will you celebrate National Rural Health Day?

Founded by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) in 2011, National Rural Health Day (NRHD) celebrates the "Power of Rural" every third Thursday of November. NRHD honors the dedication of rural providers, State Offices of Rural Heath, and other stakeholders who tackle the challenges faced by rural communities.

At NETRC, rural health is built into our mission as we work to increase access to quality health care for people in rural areas through telehealth. We're starting to think about how we'll mark the day, and we'd love to hear how you plan to celebrate National Rural Health Day. NOSORH has put together a great list of ideas and resources, including customizable flyers and press release templates, social media posts, and activity sheets, like those shown here.

Find out more here

June 12, 2025

2:00pm to 3:00pm ET

The Future of Telemedicine and Digital Health to Catalyze Care Delivery

Hosted by: Southwest Telehealth Resource Center

This webinar will provide an overview of the major factors affecting the future of telemedicine and digital health pertinent to health care delivery. Specific use cases of AI-driven solutions enhancing telemedicine and digital health will be discussed.

Register here

June 13, 2025

Maine AI Conference

Hosted by: The University of Maine, Orono

The Maine AI Conference brings together industry, academia, and government experts to explore opportunities and challenges that can transform research, teaching, and business processes. Early bird registration closes May 16, 2026.

Register here

June 17, 2025

12:00pm to 1:00pm

MaineHealth Virtual Public Health Grand Rounds 2025: Are We Prepared for the Next Pandemic?

Hosted by: MaineHealth

MaineHealth is pleased to announce that Henry Walke, MD, MPH, will be joining Dr. Nirav Shah for their virtual public health grand rounds on June 17th (12 – 1). Dr. Walke oversees US CDC’s public health emergency preparedness, and served as the incident manager of CDC’s COVID-19 response. As many of you know, Dr. Shah oversaw the COVID-19 response for Maine.

These Virtual Public Health Grand Rounds are free, offer 1 hour CME, and are available to anyone in public health or health care.

Register here

June 20, 2025

TeleBehavioral Health 2025: Suicide Risk Assessment and Management in the Age of Telehealth

Hosted by: UW Medicine

In this session, Dr. Kate Comtois, PhD reviews how clinicians using telebehavioral health can assess suicide risk and offers further techniques on telebehavioral health risk assessment and management.

Register here

November 4-5, 2025

2025 New England Rural Health Association Conference

Hosted by: New England Rural Health Association (NERHA)

The annual NERHA conference attracts 400 attendees from across New England and is a unique opportunity for rural healthcare professionals from hospitals, clinics, oral health, behavioral health, human services, higher education, advocates, community leaders and stakeholders to come together for two days of rural health immersion. Early Bird registration is open through July 31st.

Register here