| |
Telehealth
Northeast Missouri Telehealth Network
Project Summary
This project was initiated in July 2005 and completed in March 2009. Team efforts led to successfully meeting the goal of improving access to care for the underserved of rural northeast Missouri utilizing telehealth technology. Even though this regional project has ended, the telehealth sites are still functional and available for health care usage. Community members should speak to their health care provider about use of telehealth for routine health care visits. Missouri Telehealth Network will continue to function as a resource for each site and provide direct support to the sites. Contact the Missouri Telehealth Network (MTN) at 573.884.7958 or visit their website at www.telehealth.muhealth.org for more information. Site listings and contact information for MTN sites in the state of Missouri are available on the MTN website as well as a provider directory at http://telehealth.muhealth.org/clinical%20services/provider_dir_oct_2008.pdf. Multiple continuing educational events are available via telehealth and schedules with topic information are available on the MTN website at http://telehealth.muhealth.org/educational%20programming/edprog_cme.html.
What is Telehealth?
Network Description
Project Objectives
Project Region
Funding
For More Information
Telehealth Site Locations
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth offers a new way of delivering existing services, so patients receive necessary health care without the inconvenience and high cost of travel. Using videoconferencing equipment, patients are able to remain in their own community while consulting with specialists at another site, almost as if they were in the same exam room.
Network Description
The Northeast Missouri Telehealth Network, a grant funded program of A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri, worked to improve access to high quality primary, specialty and mental health care for the underserved of rural northeast Missouri via telehealth technology. Project partners included members of the telehealth committee which represented multiple health care agencies in northeast Missouri, the Northeast Missouri Rural Health Network (NMRHN, www.nmrhn.org), the Missouri Telehealth Network (MTN, www.telehealth.muhealth.org), and the Northeast Missouri Area Health Education Center.
Project Objectives
The three main objectives of this project included:
1) Establish and expand site-based telehealth primary, specialty, and mental health care services in an 11-county area of northeast Missouri;
During this project period from July 2005-March 2009, 15 new telehealth sites were developed of which 14 were still functional as of project end. Including the five pre-existing telehealth sites, this led to a total of 19 sites in northeast Missouri. A total of 1,456 clinical encounters occurred via telehealth because of this project. The telehealth network was also used for health professional education and health care administration.
2) Conduct comprehensive provider/staff recruitment and training to maximize utilization of the newly initiated telehealth system in northeast Missouri;
Site coordinators were identified at each agency site. Initial and ongoing training and support was provided to assist the Site Coordinator to be the telehealth champion at their agency. Provider recruitment resulted in 19 providers registering and participating in equipment training. A provider directory was developed and is maintained by Missouri Telehealth Network.
3) Reach 50,000+ people with educational messages to raise public awareness about the availability/benefits of telehealth and improve consumer use of this health care service;
Multiple media avenues were utilized to reach greater than 50,000 people and share information about telehealth and its availability with the residents of northeast Missouri. Efforts included: Advertising via radio, TV, newspaper, and billboard; Telehealth DVD; Press coverage for events; Community education programming; Open houses; Website; Public presentations and Participation in community events.
Project Region
The counties impacted by this project cover an 11-county service region, including Adair, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Putnam, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, and Sullivan. All targeted counties are designated as geographic/low-income health professional shortage areas (HPSAs), low-income dental HPSAs, and mental health shortage areas. Marion County was included in this project during Year 3 when a telehealth site was added in Hannibal.
Funding
Funding for this three-year project was provided in part by the Missouri Foundation for Health. The Missouri Foundation for Health is a philanthropic organization whose vision is to improve the health of the people in the communities it serves.
For More Information
For more information about telehealth, contact the Missouri Telehealth Network at www.telehealth.muhealth.org or the main phone number 573.884.7958. For more information about the Northeast Missouri Telehealth Network, contact Celia Hagan, project coordinator at 660.626.2443.
You are visitor # 6209 since 12/22/2005
 |
Northeast Missouri Rural Health Network
117 W. Potter Avenue, Kirksville, MO 63501
Phone 660-665-0330
Toll Free 877-539-2227
Fax 660-665-0030
nmrhn@sbcglobal.net |
|
|
