Website       Who We Are       HTRC Services       Funding       Billing & Reimbursement
June 2018    
 TELEHEALTH BEAT 
HTRC's monthly telehealth bulletin
FCC votes to raise funding cap on rural telehealth program
This month the Federal Communications Commission voted to raise the cap on the Rural Health Care Program (RHCP), which provides funding to rural health care organizations to supplement the cost of telehealth connections. The program has grown in recent years and has exceeded the previous cap of $400 million. The recent vote raised the cap to $571 million. 

"As the son of two doctors in rural Kansas, and having visited telemedicine projects from Alaska to Florida, I understand the critical role that broadband plays in giving patients in rural areas high-quality health care services," said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in an FCC press release. "This money will  help health care providers get the connectivity they need to better serve patients throughout rural America."

The RHCP's Universal Services Fund subsidizes the cost of Internet connections to help make rural telehealth services comparable to the cost of urban connections. For more information about how to apply for the fund contact HTRC at 877-643-HTRC.
Telehealth: A bright spot in the rural health landscape 

At times, the challenges to improving health care access in rural areas can seem daunting. According to data from the North Carolina Rural Health Research program, a combined total of eight rural hospitals closed in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma from 2010 to January 2018. Additionally, despite having an older and sicker population, the rate of physicians per capita is significantly lower in rural areas. However, telehealth remains a bright light in a sometimes gloomy landscape. Not only does telehealth increase access through virtual visits, but through Project ECHO's telementoring model, many local primary care providers now have the skills and confidence to treat conditions that were routinely referred to specialists.
 
This is one of the reasons why Missouri's version of Project ECHO, Show-Me ECHO, has been nominated for the Missouri Rural Health Association's Rural Health Champion Award. In 2017, 650 people, mainly health care providers, participated in Show-Me ECHO to learn from an expert panel on topics including asthma, chronic pain, opioid use disorder, child psychiatry and Hepatitis C. You can cast your vote  here for Show-Me ECHO to receive the award. The deadline to vote is June 29 and the award will be presented at the Missouri Rural Health Conference August 21-23.
 
Also at the upcoming Missouri Rural Health Conference, Missouri Telehealth Network's Rachel Mutrux will present on Show-Me ECHO. The presentation will cover current and potential ECHO projects and explore outcomes and effects of Show-Me ECHO. 
EVENTS
HRSA Webinar: Writing a successful evaluation plan for your grant application
July 11
12 noon-1:30 p.m. CDT

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) invites you to a free Grants Education and Technical Assistance Webinar Series for Tribes, Tribal Organizations, Indian Health, Tribal and Urban Indian Health Programs.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn about writing successful, effective evaluation plans for your projects and grant applications. Participants will also have the opportunity to connect with HRSA subject matter experts, grant reviewers and peers to discuss best practices to successfully apply for and manage HRSA grants.

The webinars will be held the second Wednesday of every month. Check the HTRC events page for upcoming webinars.


Kansas School Nurse Conference
July 17-19
Wichita, Kan.

This year's Kansas School Nurse Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Wichita. HTRC will host an exhibit, so please stop by to learn more about how school-based telehealth can benefit nurses and students. 

Please call 316-978-6493 to register or here for more information.

Webinar: Innovation and impact with speech language pathology telepractice
July 19
1-2 p.m. CDT

Join Michael Towey and Nathan Curtis, two of the nation's most experienced speech language pathology telepractitioners, for this webinar, hosted by the Northeast Telehealth Resource Center. They will overview telepractice in the field, highlight web-based approaches and discuss how "off the shelf" programs and apps can be re-purposed to create virtual materials for children and families. These materials can help to extend treatment on home devices and improve engagement and outcomes. Additionally, they'll explore bedrock clinical principles applied to telepractice and techniques to engage a variety of age groups. They'll also cover clinician and e-helper competencies, coaching within telepractice, key program results (NOMS) and feedback from patients, caregivers and e-helpers.

REGISTER NOW

On the third Thursday of the month, the National Consortium of TRCs presents informative, thought-provoking webinars on timely telehealth topics. Please be sure to check periodically for upcoming webinars at TelehealthResourceCenters.org .

NOSORH Meeting, Region C
Bloomington, Minn.
August 13-15

Join HTRC and other TRCs for the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health's Region C Partnership Meeting in Bloomington, Minn. A pre-event meeting on August 13 will focus on telehealth and includes presentations on legislative and policy updates and best practices by Jonathan Neufeld, Ph.D., GPTRAC Executive Director, in collaboration with Janine Gracy, HTRC Project Director, and Becky Sanders, UMTRC Director. An August 14 presentation will highlight "Exemplary Telehealth Programs Across the Upper Midwest ."

REGISTER NOW

SEARCH Telehealth Research Symposium
La Jolla, Ca.
October 24-25

This year's SEARCH symposium will highlight connected health efforts, strategies and partnerships, focusing on the research of telehealth, mHealth and other health care technologies. The goal of the conference is to inspire new research, encourage partnerships and help other researchers build on one another's successes.

REGISTER NOW

Technology Technology Summit
New Orleans, La.
December 12-13



Save the date for the Telehealth Technology Summit in New Orleans on December 12-13! Hear from experts, including HTRC and other telehealth resource centers, on remote patient monitoring, connectivity solutions and more.  This summit, tailored for health care providers, health care administrators and policy makers, will feature  hands-on demonstrations of the latest in telemedicine equipment. 

In addition to HTRC, organizers include:
  • Learn Telehealth
  • Southeastern Telehealth Resource Center
  • TexLa Telehealth Resource Center
  • Telehealth Technology Assessment Center
For more information, please email [email protected].

ECHO schedule

ECHO
WHEN
STATE
Ongoing Kansas
Child Behavioral Health Ongoing Kansas
Impact Asthma Ongoing Missouri
Autism
 Ongoing Missouri
Chronic Pain Management Ongoing Missouri
Dermatology Ongoing Missouri
Hep C Ongoing Missouri
Community Health Worker
Ongoing
Missouri
Opioid Use Disorder Ongoing Missouri
Addiction Medicine Ongoing Oklahoma
Obesity Medicine Ongoing Oklahoma
Hepatitis C Ongoing Oklahoma
HIV/Viral Disorders Ongoing Oklahoma
Pediatric Psychiatry Ongoing Oklahoma
Psychiatry Ongoing Oklahoma


Project ECHO

Project ECHO is a program using telehealth to revolutionize medical education  and improve access to specialty care. Project ECHO, which was developed by the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, works by connecting primary care clinicians with specialist teams via videoconference. 

Each specialty area has its own ECHO, such as autism or chronic pain. ECHO teams meet regularly to collaborate with primary care providers.


Heartland Telehealth Resource Center | [email protected] | 
 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway   Fairway, KS 66205