Dear Colleagues,
2021 has continued to be an unprecedented time for telehealth, we hope you're doing well as we embark on a new year. January rang in a new federal Administration, and the beginning of many new state legislative sessions, and both have continued the interest and utilization of telehealth as we all continue to combat COVID-19.
The new year also brings a new look to the NETRC newsletter format! However, as usual, this edition of Northeast Connections aims to help you keep track of it all; from policy updates, to exciting new NETRC materials, and upcoming events you'll watch to watch.
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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Federal Policy and Guidance Updates |
Open Funding Opportunities |
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Check out our NEW NYS Telehealth Training Portal!
Recently released as part of Governor Cuomo's Proposal to Expand Access to Telehealth for All in his 2021 State of the State Address
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The NETRC team is thrilled to announce the launch of the New York State Telehealth Training Portal in collaboration with the New York State Department of Health and Stony Brook Medicine! Create a free account today at NYTelehealth.NETRC.org
Learn more about Governor Cuomo's State of the State Address Here
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Federal and State Policy Updates |
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Federal Policy Updates
On Thursday, January 7th, DHHS Secretary Alex Azar signed a renewal of the Federal Public Health Emergency Declaration (PHE) due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This extends the PHE considerations through April 2021. More recently, President Biden's administration issued a Letter to State Governors indicating that "we have determined that the PHE will likely remain in place for the entirety of 2021, and when a decision is made to terminate the declaration or let it expire, HHS will provide states with 60 days’ notice prior to termination".
Recent State Policy Updates
In Massachussets, Governor Baker recently signed an updated telehealth bill with parity provisions into law. Click here for the policy, and you can find a synopsis article here.
In Vermont, a state-wide telehealth workgroup recently produced a report and recommendations that was submitted to VT Legislature on Audio only and future TH policy change. Click here for the document.
In New York, Governor Cuomo's Reimagine NY Commission has released a variety of materials. See the Telehealth Training portal section above, or the recent Press Release about their current intentions here.
In Rhode Island, the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC) had convened a Telemedicine Subcommittee, and their Recommendations Report was released in late 2020, see here.
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Open Telehealth Job Opportunity
Ferre Genetics is seeking a part time genetic counselor to join a team of highly motivated genetic counselors working and collaborating in a non-profit setting in upstate New York. The position offers the opportunity to work from home and is primarily patient facing video visits. Click the link below to learn more and apply!
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Open Funding Opportunities |
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Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Paraprofessionals
Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-21-090
The application closes on April 12, 2021
A special focus is placed on the knowledge and understanding of the specific concerns of children, adolescents, and transitional-aged youth in high need and high demand areas at risk for behavioral health disorders.
Eligible applicants include:
- State-licensed mental health nonprofit and for-profit organizations
- Academic institutions, including universities, community colleges, and technical schools
- Domestic faith-based and community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations
- Current grant recipients funded under the FY 2017 BHWET Program
HRSA expects approximately $24.3 million to be available in FY 2021 to fund 43 grantees.
Evidence Based Telehealth Network Program
Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-21-0
The application closes on April 2, 2021
The primary objective of the Evidence Based Telehealth Network Program (EB THNP) is to demonstrate how telehealth networks can improve access to healthcare using telehealth technologies in rural and frontier communities and to evaluate those services to establish an evidence base for assessing their effectiveness for patients, providers, and payers. Applicants must propose to provide direct-to-consumer (DTC) telehealth services to patients within established telehealth networks. This can be done by partnering with local established healthcare facilities within the target service area and will allow for the expansion of access to care in Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and Mental Health and Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
The three clinical primary focus areas for program activities include:
- Primary care
- Acute care
- Behavioral health
Applicants may also address one of the following secondary focus areas:
- Maternal care
- Substance use disorder
- Chronic care management
HRSA expects approximately $4.9 million to be available in FY 2021 to fund 14 grantees.
For a complete list of funding opportunities, visit the HRSA website.
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Upcoming Webinars and Events |
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NCTRC Telehealth HACK Events
February 10, 2021: FQHC Program Models Post-COVID
Presenters
-Becky Bounds, MSN, RN-BC, CPHQ, Program Manager, TexLa Telehealth Resource Center
-Rafael De La Paz, Chief Executive Officer, Community Health Centers of South Central Texas
-Casey Castner, Telehealth Operations Coordinator, Finger Lakes Community Health Center
-Leslie Diede, MPA, CHES, Quality & Operations Manager, Flathead Community Health Center
February 17, 2021: Health Professions Training Models Post-COVID
Presenters
-Karen Rheuban, MD - Medical Director, Office of Telemedicine, Karen S. Rheuban Center for Telehealth, University of Virginia
-Scott Shipman, MD, MPH - Director of Clinical Innovations and Director of Primary Care Affairs at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
-Kathryn Neill, Pharm.D - Associate Provost for Academics, Director of Interprofessional Administrative and Curricular Affairs, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, UAMS Division of Academic Affairs, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
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In Case You Missed It! Recently Recorded Webinars |
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HRSA-NETRC Telehealth Webinar Series:
"Strategies for Addressing the Behavioral Health Needs of Unsheltered and Vulnerable Populations during the Pandemic"
This webinar discusses tips and promising strategies for addressing access to behavioral health services for the unsheltered and other vulnerable homeless populations while still maintaining safe public health practices meant to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Watch the Recording here!
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CCHP Webinar Telehealth Policy in 2021: Where are we headed?
Listen in as CCHP's executive director, Mei Kwong, provides an update on telehealth policy changes so far and what to expect in 2021 on both the state and federal level.
Watch the Recording here!
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NCTRC Telehealth Landscape Survey |
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Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey so that the TRCs can learn how to better serve you!
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Featured Telehealth News
A larger news compilation can be found on the NETRC site here.
Washington is awash in new and reintroduced telehealth bills
mHealth Intelligence, January 29, 2021 Link
In advance of the next session of Congress, lawmakers are scrambling to file new bills or resubmit old bills that aim to expand telehealth access and coverage through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic.
Will FCC’s emergency broadband benefit program boost telehealth?
mHealth Intelligence, January 29, 2021 Link
A $3.2 billion program spun out of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 aims to help low-income and underserved communities gain access to broadband services - and make it easier to access telehealth.
Global study using RPM, mHealth to treat COVID-19 patients at home
mHealth Intelligence, January 29, 2021 Link
Project Coromec, with roots in Arizona, aims to use mHealth wearables and apps, AI bots and a telehealth platform to identify and treat COVID-19 patients at home, before they become sick enough to need hospitalization.
Accelerating digital health to achieve equitable delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine
Health Affairs Blog, January 29, 2021 Link
With the advent of multiple vaccine options that have early evidence of high efficacy, a pressing question for policy makers is the role, if any, of digital health in delivering vaccines equitably. In this piece, we argue that digital health has the potential to facilitate a more widely distributed model of vaccine delivery that can help reach traditionally underserved populations.
NH lawmakers seek to end telehealth parity, audio-only phone coverage
mHealth Intelligence, January 28, 2021 Link
New Hampshire lawmakers are debating a new bill that would eliminate payment parity for telehealth and coverage of audio-only phone calls, both of which were included in legislation signed into law last year.
New York plan to expand telehealth
Center for Connected Health Policy News, January 26, 2020 Link
Governor Cuomo recently announced his comprehensive proposal to enhance health care and behavioral health care access using telehealth. The policies will build upon the Governor’s emergency actions to expand flexibilities around its use and a New York commission’s recommendations to transform the health care delivery system with improved equity of access.
FSMB launches online resource for telehealth license portability
mHealth Intelligence, January 26, 2021 Link
The Federation of State Medical Boards has launched an online platform aimed at helping hard-hit health systems bring in extra clinical help through telehealth during the coronavirus pandemic.
Provider Bridge gives volunteer care providers an online platform through which they can connect with health systems in need of help and, by way of license portability, treat patients via telehealth.
CMS revises 2021 remote patient monitoring rules, issues correction
Health Care Law Today, January 25, 2021 Link
CMS just issued a correction to its guidance on 2021 Medicare rules for remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) services. The correction is effective January 1, 2021 and revises the preamble commentary in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, published on December 1, 2020.
Today’s virtual care revolution: how policy has shaped and will continue to shape telehealth
Forbes, January 22, 2021 Link
Virtual care advanced quickly in 2020 —and under duress—last year. How will we learn from the seismic shifts in care delivery we experienced thanks to COVID-19? How can we help providers and innovators embrace the transformation? How will we solidify these gains?
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Recommended Telehealth Research/Resources
Check out the complete Telehealth Library Database on the NETRC site here.
Cline A, Kim C, Deitz M, et al. J. Amer. Acad. Dermatol. [epub ahead of print], January 2021
Dahiya AV, DeLucia E, McDonnell CG, Scarpa A. Res. Dev. Disabil. [epub ahead of print], January 2021
Eberly LA, Kallan MJ, Julien HM, et al. JAMA Netw. Open 3(12):e2031640, 2020
Ferrari-Light D, Geraci TC, Chang SH, Cerfolio RJ. Frontiers Surg. 7:596970, 2020
Hughto JMW, Peterson L, Perry NS, et al. J. Subst. Abuse Treat. 120:108163, 2021
Kodama R, Arora S, Anand S, et al. Telemed. eHealth [epub ahead of print], December 2020
Limaye MA, Lantigua-Martinez M, Trostle ME, et al. Amer. J. Perinatol. [epub ahead of print], December 2020
Lukas H, Xu C, Yu Y, Gao W. ACS Nano. [epub ahead of print], December 2020
Molfenter T, Roget N, Chaple M, et al. JMIR Ment. Health [epub ahead of print], January 2021
Patt DA, Wilfong L, Toth S, et al. JCO Oncol. Pract. 17(1):e11-e15, 2020
Peterseim C, Watson KH. PRiMER 4:35, 2021
Prasad A, Brewster R, Rajasekaran D, Rajasekaran K. Frontiers Med. 7:600794, 2020
Raj M, DePuccio MJ, Stephenson AL, et al. Amer. J. Managed Care 27(1):e1-e3, 2021
Rodriguez JA, Betancourt JR, Sequist TD, Ganguli I. Amer. J. Managed Care 27(1):21-26, 2021
Schweiberger K, Hoberman A, Iagnemma J, et al. J. Med. Internet Res. [epub ahead of print], December 2020
Su MY, Smith GP, Das S. J. Amer. Acad. Dermatol. [epub ahead of print], December 2020
Suter N. J. Public Health Dent. 80 Suppl 2:S126-S131, 2020
Tan AJ, Yamarik R, Brody AA, et al. Nurs. Outlook [epub ahead of print], January 2021
Tresenriter M, Holdaway J, Killeen J, Chan T, Dameff C. J. Emerg. Med. 7:S0736-4679(20)31326-3, 2021
Verduzco-Gutierrez M, Lara AM, Annaswamy TM. PM R. [epub ahead of print], January 2021
Zhang JY, Shang T, Ahn D, et al. J. Diabetes Sci. Technol. [epub ahead of print], January 2021
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The Northeast Telehealth Resource enter has been made possible by grant number G22RH30352 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth: HRSA / DHHS. |
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