Dear Colleagues,
Can you believe we're in August?! Amidst a fast paced and jam-packed summer of telehealth, we hope that you've been able to find a few moments of sunshine and relaxation recently, and that you all are staying cool in the "dog-days" of northeastern summer heat! The 2021 summer months have seen nearly constant telehealth updates, including policy movement at both the state and federal level, along with a swath of Telehealth Reports and Publications. As usual, this edition of Northeast Connections aims to help you digest it all!
Before we dive in, we recognize that the emergence of the COVID-19 Delta Variant has caused us all to once again consider our workflows and operational efforts, and we want you to know that the NETRC team is here to help as you focus on continuing to deliver care to your patients and communities.
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with your telehealth questions or success stories, or just to say hello!
On behalf of the entire NETRC Team – Be well,
Reid Plimpton, MPH - Project Manager
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Annual Conference Updates |
Federal Policy and Guidance Updates |
Open Funding Opportunities |
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Early Bird Conference Registration Rates &
Event Sponsor Opportunities Still Available!
The NETRC 2021 Conference Speakers and other updates will be released throughout the coming weeks, but Early Bird Registration Rates are only here for a limited time! 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 days full of information and use cases across the telehealth spectrum. Register by Friday August 27th to save up to $75!
Both September 23 & 24 $175
Pre-Conference Workshop:(September 23 Only) $40
Pre-Conference Industry Partner Showcase (September 23 Only)- Included in registrations
Half-Day Conference (September 23 Only) $75
Full-Day Conference (September 24 Only) $125
Networking Reception (September 23) Included with conference registrations
Who should attend: Clinicians (CME available), C-Suite and Administrators, Telehealth Directors/Managers/Coordinators, Payers, Government Agencies, Policy Makers, Students, and anyone interested in learning, networking, and collaborating!
Please note: The NETRC team is carefully following changes in COVID-19 numbers and recommendations from state and federal agencies as the date approaches. We are formulating plans to pivot to a hybrid or fully virtual event as needed if the scenario indicates that is the best option for participants and speakers at the time. Feel free to contact us directly with questions or concerns.
Questions about the conference? Email our conference coordinator Phonse Allen-Laney at aralaney@mcdph.org
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Day 2 Keynote & Plenary Speakers Announced! |
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Shantanu Nundy, MD is a primary care physician, technologist, and business leader who serves as Chief Medical Officer for Accolade, which delivers personalized navigation and population health services to companies that cover over 1.7 million working Americans. In addition, he practices primary care in the greater Washington, DC, area.
Dr. Nundy was a senior health specialist at the World Bank Group in its Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice, where he advised developing countries across Africa, Asia, and South America on health system innovation and technology. Previously, he was Director of the Human Diagnosis Project, a healthcare AI startup backed by Y Combinator, Andreessen Horowitz, and Union Square Ventures, which he successfully built into the world’s largest open medical project spanning 80 countries. Prior to that, he was Managing Director for Clinical Innovation at Evolent Health (NYSE: EVH), a population health and predictive analytics company, where he improved hospital and chronic disease outcomes for over 2 million Americans. He is also co-inventor of SMS-DMCare, an automated text messaging software for individuals with diabetes, one of the first mobile health interventions to demonstrate improved health and lower costs and to be adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO)’s eHealth Compendium.
Nundy's work has been recognized by the MacArthur Foundation and been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Atlantic, and Wired. He has been an advisor and speak on digital health and artificial intelligence to the federal and state medical boards, the FDA, and numerous healthcare startups and investors.
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Joe Kvedar, MD has focused on driving innovation, creating the market, and gaining acceptance for connected health for nearly three decades at Mass General Brigham (formerly Partners HealthCare). He is now applying his expertise, insights, and influence to advancing adoption of telehealth and virtual care technologies at the national level. Dr. Kvedar continues to guide the transformation of healthcare delivery as a respected thought leader, author, and convener.
Dr. Kvedar is Chair of the Board of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA). As Editor-in-Chief of npj Digital Medicine, a Nature Research journal, he is working to establish the evidence base needed to guide innovation and the implementation of virtual care.
He is co-chair of the American Medical Association's (AMA) Digital Medicine Payment Advisory Group (DMPAG), which works to ensure widespread coverage of telehealth and remote patient monitoring, and successfully established several new provider codes for telehealth reimbursement through the CPT process. Dr. Kvedar is also a member of the AAMC’s (Association of American Medical Colleges) telehealth committee, creating tools that will enable medical schools and residency programs to integrate telehealth into the training of future practitioners. Dr. Kvedar is the author of two books: The Internet of Healthy Things and The New Mobile Age: How Technology Will Extend the Healthspan and Optimize the Lifespan. The cHealth Blog provides his insights and vision for connected health.
Dr. Kvedar is a Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School.
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Thomas (TJ) Ferrante, JD is a partner and a board certified health care lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP and member of the firm’s national Telemedicine & Digital Health Industry Team. T.J. focuses his practice on telemedicine, digital health, remote patient monitoring and virtual care, as well as a wide range of transactional and related regulatory issues for health care industry clients. Whether leading a large private equity group through a major acquisition or helping an emerging telehealth startup build a compliant, scalable business model across the United States, T.J. centers his representation around the specific needs and objectives of the companies he assists.
Known in the industry for his creative solutions and deal-making ability, T.J. draws upon deep substantive knowledge, entrepreneurial solutions, sophisticated negotiation skills and effective project management to meet the critical business and legal needs of both institutional and emerging companies. He is listed as a notable practitioner in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Business Lawyers, which states “He is always accommodating of the rapid pace and demands, and has a rare grasp of the strategic business implications of the law.” (2018)
T.J. frequently speaks at conferences across the country on telehealth, virtual care and health care issues. He has been quoted in industry publications such as Modern Healthcare, mHealthIntelligence, Medpage Today, Health Data Management, Healthcare Informatics and the Tampa Bay Business Journal, among others.
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Join us in Participating In ATA's Telehealth Awareness Week! |
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The NETRC is proud to be an Endorsing Partner of The American Telemedicine Association's First Ever Telehealth Awareness Week, September 19-25, 2021. Our 2021 Regional Telehealth Conference on September 23-24 is one of the many excellent ways to join the conversation, network with ATA Leadership, and connect with fellow Telehealth Champions!
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Many Thanks to the Industry Partners Already on
Board the TelehealthLaunchpad!
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The Annual NETRC Conference would not be the same without our valued Industry Partners & Sponsors, and we're beyond grateful for their continued support over the years! As the conference planning continues, the NETRC Team is sure this list will grow, 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! Additionally, as mentioned previously, the NETRC team is excited to be adding a new feature to our 2021 event, the "Industry Partner Pre-Conference Technology Showcase" featuring participating Sponsors and Telehealth Industry Partners
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Federal and State Policy Updates |
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Federal Policy Updates
The 2021 Federal Legislative Session continues to show signs of robust telehealth policy discussion, as made evident by ATA's 2021 Federal Policy Tracker, including some proposals that were reintroduced from the previous session, such as the CONNECT Act (news article summary, here). While no bills have been taken up for vote, nor placed in committee just yet, all indications continue to imply the conversation around telehealth policy at the federal level will be across multiple care avenues and telehealth implementation aspects, and NETRC is here to help you keep track! We've pulled a few of the more recent policy efforts made by federal legislators for you throughout the newsletter, see the News Stories section below, the news page on our website, or CCHP's new website design that includes real-time updates (below), and catch next months' edition of NETRC's "Northeast Connections" for the latest news!
In Mid-July, CMS Released their 2022 Proposed Physician Fee Schedule – Open for Comment until 9/13/2021
State Policy Updates
Many State Legislative Discussions around Telehealth in our region wrapped up in June and July as the respective Legislatures ended of their sessions, while others are in the early part of their new session calendar and have multiple proposals just starting; Please refer to our previous newsletter and our website for any recent publications, and we will return to our State by State breakdown in our next edition of Northeast Connections.
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NEW NETRC Regional Telehealth Success Story! |
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University of Vermont Health Network's Adaptation of Maternal Fetal Medicine Care Via Telehealth
For over 30 years Dr. Marjorie Meyer, a Burlington, Vermont based Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist has provided
quality care to high risk, expectant mothers. With a team of five doctors and an observant, open minded staff, Dr.
Meyer noticed key obstacles to care for some of her patients. The time and costs associated with traveling great
distances were major barriers for patients. The University of Vermont Health Network is a vast health system that has partner hospitals in both upstate New York and throughout the state of Vermont. Often times, patients who are in need of specialty care are required to travel great distances for that care. Simply put, the travel time dwarfed the actual length of appointment time. In partnership with Dr. Daniel Laury of Alice Hyde Medical Center (AHMC) located in Malone, New York, Dr. Meyer developed a Maternal Fetal Medicine Telehealth program that provided a convenient alternative to in person visits at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Video visits have saved on travel costs,work and family time lost, and the headaches that often come with planning of attending medical appointments. Dr. Meyer has seen a dramatic increase in patient access.
Click here to continue reading this Success Story, and here to find all recently posted stories!
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Open Funding Opportunities |
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FCC/ USAC Emergency Broadband Benefit Program- Program Updates
On July 28th, FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel
announced over four million households have enrolled in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, the nation’s largest broadband affordability program to date. The $3.2 billion
subsidy program initiated by Congress provides a temporary $50 to $75 discount on eligible households’ internet bills during the duration of the pandemic.
program. The benefit is available to eligible new, prior, and existing customers of participating
providers. Customers can sign up by contacting a participating provider, enroll online at
https://www.getemergencybroadband.org, or sign up via mail. To learn more or learn where to
access a mail-in application, call (833) 511-0311.
We invite you to continue working with us to spread the word about this timely program. As a reminder, the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit outreach toolkit is a free, accessible, and effective way to add accurate information and graphics to your outreach campaigns.
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Upcoming Webinars and Events |
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NEW CCHP Medicaid Webinar Series Report & Fall Webinar Series
Check out CCHP's summary report of the 2020 Spring Medicaid Webinar Series that can be found on CCHP’s website, and the recently announced upcoming Fall Webinar Topics!
The Telehealth & Medicaid webinar series will return this Fall and will take place in September/October focusing on topics such as audio-only, policies that have been made permanent, and the Medicaid program’s reasoning for those decisions. Please stay tuned for updates on confirmed speakers for the Fall series. CCHP will send additional information and announcements about the Fall series in the upcoming weeks. For more information, and to register for future webinars, visit CCHP’s Events page.
Medicaid & Audio Only Friday, September 17, 2021 | 2:00 PM -3:30 PM EST- Register Here
Medicaid & Telehealth Data Collection Friday, September 24, 2021 | 2:00 PM -3:30 PM EST- Register Here
Medicaid & Other State Agencies Telehealth Policies for Patients with Disabilities Friday, October 1, 2021 | 2:00 PM -3:30 PM EST- Register Here
Medicaid & Permanent COVID-19 Telehealth Policies Friday, October 8, 2021 | 2:00 PM -3:30 PM EST- Register Here
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NCTRC Webinar - Thursday August 19th, 2-3pm EST Delaware Libraries Telehealth and Teleservices Initiative
Hosted by: Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center
Presented by: Nick Martin, Emerging Technology Consultant, Delaware Libraries
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New England Rural Health Association Annual Conference
11/3 & 11/4
Don't miss this year's NERHA Conference, Themed: Rural Resiliency: Innovation and the Journey Forward, Hosted at the Sunday River Resort in Newry, Maine.
This conference is an opportunity for rural healthcare professionals, hospital administrators, educators, students and community leaders to learn from experts in rural topics, and to network with each other.
Designed to involve all sectors that impact the health of people in rural New England, this multidisciplinary event gives attendees the opportunity to delve into specific areas of interest or participate in sessions spanning a variety of topic areas. This event is designed to meet the needs of those interested in improving the health and wellbeing of our region's rural communities. Over the past 20+ years, the NERHA annual conference has become one of the Association's largest events, attracting over 300 participants. this event will be in person this year and also offering the opportunity to join in virtually as well!
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Save the Dates (September 13-17) for the virtual 2021 North Country (NY) Leadership Summit!
Emerging from a year of change: An opportunity to rebuild and reimagine
The AHI Leadership Summit is joining forces with the state’s premier telehealth conference, brought to you by the North Country Telehealth Partnership (a collaboration of Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization and Adirondack Health Institute).
This virtual one-week learning symposium will bring together leaders from New York’s North Country and beyond and is an opportunity to learn from experts on both telehealth, population health, and advancing whole-person care.
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Behavioral Health Survey Opportunity! |
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This survey is being conducted by the University of New Hampshire Telepractice Center (TPC). The TPC is an interdisciplinary center for telehealth learning and innovation. The TPC connects education, research, and service across health-related disciplines, both within and beyond the University of New Hampshire.
TPC will be offering professional development courses on the topic of telehealth, and they are seeking input from healthcare and allied professionals to learn more about telehealth usage and training needs within the telehealth community, and your responses will help inform their work.
Participation in this survey implies consent. All responses will remain anonymous, and participation should take less than 15 minutes. If you have any questions, please contact Samantha.Leiper@unh.edu.
Click Here to complete the survey |
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Featured Telehealth News
A larger news compilation can be found on the NETRC site here.
Medicaid & Telehealth: Summary and Findings from the Spring Webinar Series
COVID-19 has forever changed many aspects of our lives, including how health care is delivered. With the advent of the pandemic, a quick pivot to the use of telehealth to provide services was made, necessitating in many temporary telehealth policy changes on the federal and state level. Much attention has been paid to federal Medicare telehealth policy changes, but there has been less focus on the actions taken by state Medicaid programs.
CALIFORNIA TELEHEALTH POLICY: Post-PHE Updates
In early February, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released their initial proposed post-pandemic telehealth policy recommendations for Medi-Cal. The proposal only made a few of the temporary COVID-19 telehealth policies permanent, while some pieces of the proposal appeared to narrow pre-pandemic policies related to store-and-forward reimbursement.
Nursing Home Telemedicine & Telehealth in Nursing Homes: Do They Improve Care?
Telehealth.org July 30, 2021 Link
The past 18 months have been devastating to nursing homes, which have long struggled quietly, all-too-often, without adequate staff or resources to meet their residents’ physical or behavioral health care needs.
Remote Patient Monitoring Program Shines in Treating COVID-19
mHealthIntelligence July 30, 2021 Link
Using remote patient monitoring to treat COVID-19 can help patients avoid hospitalization and recover quickly, according to Kaiser Permanente Southern California researchers.
Autism Telehealth: Viable Option for Treating Children With Autism?
Telehealth.org July 30, 2021 Link
With telehealth’s use on the rise, it has inevitably been increasingly used to reach out, diagnose, and treat children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
New Bill Would Expand Home Health Options, Including Remote Patient Monitoring, for Seniors
mHealthIntelligence July 30, 2021 Link
The Choose Home Care Act of 2021 would expand Medicare coverage for seniors who choose to go home after a hospital stay rather than to a skilled nursing facility. It would also open the door to remote patient monitoring, telehealth and other services.
Living in a Virtual World: The Post-Pandemic Future of Telehealth
JDSUPRA July 29, 2021 Link
As the United States is now more than one year into the COVID-19 pandemic and as life for many is returning to some sense of normalcy, this is a great time for healthcare organizations to evaluate their compliance with the legal and regulatory developments that happened at a rapid pace at the beginning of the pandemic, as well as to take steps to mitigate new legal risks that continue to unfold.
Kansas Medicaid Programs Launch Telehealth Partnership for Addiction Treatment
mHealthIntelligence July 29, 2021 Link
Medicaid managed care programs in Kansas are joining forces with CKF Addiction Treatment on a new telehealth program that works with primary care providers to screen patients for substance abuse issues and connect them with virtual care services.
Telehealth Coverage Update: 7 States Announce Changes to Telehealth Reimbursement Post-COVID
Telehealth.org July 29, 2021 Link
While the success of telehealth, teletherapy, and telemedicine over the past several months has been well-documented, only a few states have made clear decisions regarding the future of telehealth overage.
How one telehealth clinician is using technology to improve women's health
HealthcareITNews July 28, 2021 Link
Dr. Mariea Snell's patients nationwide need only a smartphone to connect via text or video for complete care. She discusses her work training the tech-enabled clinicians of tomorrow.
How the pandemic has accelerated digital payments in telehealth
HEALTHCAREDIVE July 28,2021 Link
Digitalization can simplify the medical bill payment process and give patients more information, earlier on, about their financial responsibilities, experts say.
CMS’ Proposal to Expand Telehealth Coverage
The National Law Review July 27, 2021 Link
On July 13, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) unveiled a proposal to temporarily extend Medicare coverage for particular telehealth services granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency (the “Pandemic”), in order to evaluate which services should be covered permanently.
As 'telehealth cliff' looms, hundreds of healthcare orgs urge Congress to act
HealthcareITNews July 27, 2021 Link
More than 400 healthcare and technology organizations are calling on Capitol Hill to eliminate arbitrary restrictions while helping FQHCs and critical access hospitals offer wider access to virtual care.
Examining the Benefits and Challenges of Audio-Only Telehealth
mHealthIntelligence July 27, 2021 Link
The recent debate over audio-only telehealth coverage centers on the value of the phone call. Is it a proper method for healthcare delivery, and should doctors be reimbursed for it?
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Recommended Telehealth Research/Resources
Check out the complete Telehealth Library Database on the NETRC site here.
Changes in Short-term, Long-term, and Preventive Care Delivery in US Office-Based and Telemedicine Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic Cortez C., Mansour, O., Qato, D.M., 2021 Link
GAO Reports on Telehealth COVID-19 Flexibilities Center for Connected Health Policy, 2021 Link
FQHC Telehealth Playbook- MA FQHC Telehealth Consortium; 2021 Link
Rapid Transition to Telehealth and the Digital Divide: Implications for Primary Care Access and Equity in a Post-COVID Era .Ji E. Chang PhD, MS, Alden Y. Lai, Avni Gupta, Ann Nguyen, Arolyn Berry, Donna Shelley 2021 Link
Addressing Inequities in Older Adults’ Health: A Role for Emerging Technologies
Alavi Z, Haque R, Felzer-Kim IT, et al. Community Ment. Health J. 57(1):57-63, 2021 Link
Anthony Jnr B. Inform. Health Soc. Care 46(1):68-83, 2021 Link
Bachireddy C, Chen C, Dar M. JAMA 323(20):2009-2010, 2020 Link
Demeke HB, Merali S, Marks S, et al. MMWR Morb. Mortal Wkly Rep. 70(7):240-244, 2021 Link
Murphy AA, Karyczak S, Dolce JN, et al. Community Ment. Health J. 57(1):111-120, 2021 Link
Nelson B, Kaminsky DB. Cancer Cytopathol. 128(12):879-880, 2020 Link
Steeves-Reece AL, Elder NC, Graham TA, et al. J. Rural Health 37(1):227-230, 2021 Link
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The Northeast Telehealth Resource Center has been made possible by grant number G22RH30352 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth: HRSA / DHHS. |
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