Notes from the Edge:
Have you thought about your disaster plan lately? The recent volcanic eruptions from Mount Redoubt--100 miles southwest of Anchorage - have brought the issue to the forefront of our business. Does your disaster plan include alternate ways of meeting and the continuity of your business operations? If you happened to be in SeaTac airport the week of March 30th you saw a lot of stranded executives and corporate officers who had no way back to Alaska to meet with their staff or customers, other than the ol' phone! If they had a disaster plan, how would it help these stranded road warriors?
What a great time to be in the telehealth world. We are on the verge of seeing our industry explode with an influx of capital. Last month Sandy discussed the imminent signing of the stimulus package and today we are all working to identify the opportunities for funding. Information is coming from numerous sources including associations like ATA and HIMSS, as well as numerous vendors. Everyone is scouring the documentation to take advantage of all the opportunities that are popping up. There are short fuses on all of these grant opportunities - don't let them slip away! Continue to watch the GCI ConnectMD web site for news about these opportunities.
Alaska is poised to do incredible things in rural Telehealth. GCI was awarded one of the first RUS Pilot Project contracts to design a comprehensive statewide telehealth network for Alaska. The project is one of 60 awarded by the Rural Health Care Division of USAC. Work began on Mar 30th and is schedule for completion in 180 days, an incredibly rapid schedule. The model for this network is to limit new expenditures and duplication by connecting the existing Alaska networks together. GCI ConnectMD is uniquely positioned to produce a design that will work for anyone who wants to join.
This is also the start of conference season so we will all be busy travelling and looking for new ideas and resources for the future. I will be in Chicago this week attending HIMSS and look forward to seeing some of you there.
I hope you all have a great spring,
(Ron Hale is Senior Program Manager for GCI ConnectMD in Anchorage, AK)
The ATA 14th Annual International Conference and Exposition begins April 26, 2009
Bucking nationwide trends toward decreased attendance at meetings, the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) is witnessing the strongest growth in its history for its upcoming annual meeting this April. With a record 20 percent increase in attendance and sold-out trade show with 200 exhibiting companies, ATA is experiencing the largest surge in interest since its creation in 1993. The ATA meeting is apparently viewed by many of the first time attendees and exhibitors as an opportunity to take advantage of the sudden increase in attention to remote healthcare services, considered a hot topic in Washington and elsewhere as part of healthcare reform.
Congressional leaders and the Obama administration have stated their interest in accelerating the adoption of telemedicine services. For example, the nation's economic stimulus package targets millions of dollars to fund accelerated use of telemedicine networks. ATA will hold its annual meeting on April 26-28 at the Rio Hotel and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. More information is available at www.americantelemed.org.
Be sure to check us out at booth #707!
- Grab a few treats and chat with us about what GCI ConnectMD is doing in the Pacific Northwest
- See our VSAT remote satellite equipment and learn how this technology connects patients and providers in even the most rural and remote communities
- Learn how our managed video conferencing services are being used for telebehavioral health and creating new solutions for telemedicine
Click here for more information or to register
Western Washington Area Health Education Center - March 10, 2009
"I would not be able to pursue a lifelong dream, to become a nurse, without the Rural Outreach Nursing program (RONE). I live 150 miles and over a pass to the nearest nursing program. It is three hours away." Wendy Hunter is studying nursing through an e-learning program with clinical components taught at her local hospital in Republic Washington. The clinical teaching portion of the program includes the use of human simulation mannequins who can actually "go into labor" and deliver babies. In this case the simulator "patient" travels across rural Washington and the students can stay in their community. They continue to work (most are already employed at the hospital) and within two years they can add to the nursing workforce in their home town.
This program is made possible through the development of a large coalition of people who understood the importance of this initiative. Western Washington Area Health Education Center (WWAHEC) And the Health Work Force Institute organized the coalition. "Washington's Area Health Education Centers' job is to connect students to careers, professionals to communities, and communities to better health", said Laurie Wylie, CEO of WWAHEC. "We provide health workforce development services with an emphasis on rural communities and those who serve people with very limited access to health care services."
Lower Columbia College (LCC) in Longview Washington provides the nursing education to students in Morton, Port Townsend, Goldendale and Republic. All of the students have stories just like Ms. Hunter's.
With a sound program developed, the coalition is successfully raising funds for the program. The most recent grant of $135,500 was awarded by The Regence Foundation. This coalition is now developing sites for next's year's class. "There are over 129 potential students from all over rural Washington, who are interested", said Helen Kuebel Director of Nursing Services. at LCC. Interested potential students can visit: http://lowercolumbia.edu/rone
"This innovative program is part of an array of services WWAHEC provides," according Myrtle Mitchell President of the Board of WWAHEC. "We have a popular summer internship program for high school students and program for volunteer and retired health care professions so that they can give back to their community."
For a list of coalition members and contributors to the RONE program and for more information please visit: WWAHEC.org
If you're interested in getting on the Rural Health Washington mailing list, please email:
Ruralhealthwa@lists.wsu.edu. Or visit: http://lists.wsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/ruralhealthwa
State Stimulus Recovery Sites Operational
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has provided the opportunity for each state to establish a web site to track current state grants and opportunities within the state while at the same time providing information on funding, fund usage and links to national funding sites.
To find information about any state go to: http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/state-recovery-page.
Washington State specific information: http://www.recovery.wa.gov/.
Alaska specific: http://omb.alaska.gov/10_omb/budget/IndexEconomicStimulus.htm.
Joint Commission's Updated Hospital COP-related Requirements
In January 2009, The Joint Commission posted 165 new and revised requirements as part of its hospital deeming application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Following successful discussions with CMS, a number of those requirements were considered equivalent to existing elements of performance or were already addressed in The Joint Commission survey process. As a result, the number of new and revised requirements has been reduced to 87. These updated conditions of participation-related requirements are posted online, along with a side-by-side comparison between the standards posted on January 5 and the March 26 release.
Hospitals will be surveyed on these requirements from April 6 - June 30; however, non-compliance will not impact the accreditation decision. Hospitals will receive feedback separate from the official accreditation decision report on their efforts to meet these requirements. Beginning July 1, non-compliance will impact the accreditation decision.
Organizations should note that CMS' final decision regarding the deeming application will be made later this year, and there may be further changes to the standards based on that decision. The Joint Commission remains confident that it will receive deeming authority. To view the requirements, visit the Joint Commission Web site or here.
On another note: Congratulations to Swedish Medical Center!
Congratulations to Swedish Medical Center on the opening of the innovative new primary care clinic in Ballard, WA. This is not only a Swedish first, but a first in the country to use the 'medical home model' exclusively.
Upcoming Events
Don't miss this!
Suicide Prevention for Rural Primary Care: A Toolkit for Providers Upcoming Webinar, April 22, 2009, 1200pm-1:30pm Pacific Time.
The presentation will be conducted before a live audience of graduate-level students in the University of Colorado as well as broadcast for home or office viewing via webinar.
For more information and to register for this conference go to http://wiche.edu/mentalhealth/grand_rounds/SuicidePreventioninRural.asp
- ATA 2009, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 26-29, 2009
- RHCA of Washington-Campbell's, Chelan, Washington April 28-29, 2009
- Annual School on Addictions and Behavioral Health-Sheraton Anchorage Hotel, May 4-6, 2009
- WSMA Leadership Conference-Campbell's, Chelan, WA May 15-17, 2009
- WSMGMA Annual Meeting-Portland, Oregon May 17-20-2009
- HFMA Annual Meeting (Alaska/Washington)-Seattle Convention Center, Seattle, WA June 14-18, 2009
- SiiM-Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina June 4-7, 2009
- NMIS-Davenport Hotel, Spokane, WA, September 8-10, 2009
- Alaska MGMA-Captain Cook, Anchorage, AK-September 11-12, 2009
- WSHA Annual Meeting, Davenport Hotel, Spokane, WA-October 2-4, 2009
- Rural Health Clinic Conference, Portland, Oregon, October 6-7, 2009
- 15TH Annual Joint Conference on Health "Health Equity: Global & Local Challenges", Yakima, Washington, October 6-8 2009
- Critical Access Hospital Conference, Portland, Oregon, October 7-9, 2009
- AWHD Annual Membership Meeting, Bell Harbor Conference Center, Seattle, Washington October 14, 2009
To submit your stories, tips or news items:
If you would like to submit, please respond by email to skukla@gci.com. Please give us your full contact information, a brief description of your submission and attach your Word, PDF and appropriate files or you may contact us by phone at: (866) 221-4841. When we add your submission we will also include an outside link to your organization’s website.
