Final CY 2023 PHYSICIAN FEE SCHEDULE FACT SHEET CCHP November 1, 2022 On November 1, 2022, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released their final rule for the CY 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). CMS had previously released their proposed version on July 7, 2022. After receiving submitted feedback from the public during the comment period, CMS published the final version that, unless otherwise stated, will have policies going into effect January 1, 2023. Much of what was proposed in July remains in this final version. End of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) CMS is going forward with the policies required of the Medicare program that were in the 2022 Budget Act. These policies included allowing some of the temporary telehealth COVID policies to continue through a 151-day grace period after the end of the PHE and delaying other permanent policies: • Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), rural health clinics (RHCs), physical therapists, occupational therapists, audiologists and speech-language pathologists remain eligible providers to be reimbursed by Medicare if they provide certain services via telehealth during this grace period. • The patient may be in the home when receiving these services and the geographic limitation would also not apply during the 151 day grace period. • Policies around the provision of mental health via telehealth that were put into law by the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) passed in December 2020 and administrative policies from the 2022 PFS are also delayed during this 151 day grace period. • The temporary telehealth eligible services COVID-19 list will remain fully available during this 151-day grace period. See full fact sheet: https://www.cchpca.org/2022/11/FINAL-2023-MEDICARE-PHYSICIAN-FEE-SCHEDULE.pdf < Previous News Next News >

The 13 telehealth platforms physicians use the most Katie Adams March 24, 2022 Telephone and Zoom are the two telehealth platforms physicians use the most, according to survey results released March 23 by the American Medical Association. Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, the AMA presented 1,657 physicians with a list of telehealth platforms and asked them to identify which ones they have used. Here are those platforms, along with the number of physicians who use them: 1. Audio-only telephone visits (723) 2. Zoom (600) 3. Doximity Video (439) 4. EHR telehealth module or tools (433) 5. Doxy.me (344) 6. Telehealth vendor (340) 7. FaceTime (269) 8. Patient Portal (234) 9. Microsoft Teams (92) 10. Texting (89) 11. Skype (48) 12. Remote patient monitoring tools (46) 13. Asynchronous messaging app (30) Copyright © 2022 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy. < Previous News Next News >

Out-of-State Telehealth Aided Rural Residents Amid the Pandemic Mark Melchionna September 22, 2022 New research shows that several Medicare beneficiaries benefited from expanding out-of-state telehealth services, including rural residents and cancer survivors. September 22, 2022 - A study published in JAMA Health Forum found that many Medicare beneficiaries benefitted from the elimination of restrictions on out-of-state telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily those with cancer, rural residents, and those residing nearby state borders. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 95 percent of health centers used telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. This sharp uptake has prompted researchers to explore the effects of telehealth and the populations that use it the most. This study examined out-of-state telehealth data from January to June 2021. They selected this time period because it followed the abrupt onset of the pandemic and included vaccine distribution efforts. Further, state-based licensing flexibilities were still in effect during the study period, enabling out-of-state telemedicine. Most flexibilities were eliminated by mid-2021, after which pre-pandemic state licensing laws were reinstated. Overall, 8.3 million Medicare beneficiaries participated in a telehealth visit between January and June 2021. Of these, 422,547 (5 percent) had one or more out-of-state telehealth visits. Through geographical analysis, researchers determined that 57.2 percent of all out-of-state telehealth visits involved patients who lived near a state border, defined as within 15 miles of a border. Upon analyzing out-of-state visits, researchers found that 64.3 percent included a primary care or mental health clinician, and 62.6 percent were preceded by an in-person visit between March 2019 and the telehealth visit involving the same patient and provider. Researchers also found that rural residents were more likely to receive telehealth from an out-of-state location, with 33.8 percent of out-of-state visits involving a rural resident versus 21 percent of within-state telemedicine visits. Also, 9.8 percent of out-of-state telehealth visits were for cancer care, the highest rate among all specialties. Based on this data, researchers concluded that Medicare beneficiaries living in rural areas, seeking cancer care, and living nearby state borders were the most likely to obtain telehealth from an out-of-state clinician. The study results also imply that these populations are highly affected by restrictions that limit out-of-state telehealth. Researchers noted a few limitations within their study, including the potential bias associated with data from the traditional Medicare population and the use of home addresses to determine the state in which a patient resides. Various studies have collected data that reveal the difficulties some patients may face when obtaining care. Highlighting the care disparities between urban and rural residents, research from June found that Native American patients often faced difficulties when accessing cancer care. This was largely due to the large geographic distance between the areas in which American Indian and Alaska Native patients reside and the locations of clinics. Due to the high prevalence of access disparities, organizations often push for regulatory expansions related to telehealth. In September, 375 stakeholders signed a letter sent to the US Senate that requested the solidification of telehealth access for two years after the COVID-19 public health emergency has ended. See original article: https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/out-of-state-telehealth-aided-rural-residents-amid-the-pandemic < Previous News Next News >

Telehealth Resources NMTHA's Telehealth Resources provide information on the following topics: New Mexico Organizations New Mexico Broadband Interstate Telemedicine Licensure Telehealth Organizations & Associations Teleheath Training COVID & Telemedicine NM Based Orgs NEW MEXICO ORGANIZATIONS Health Insight New Mexico New Mexico Association for Home & Hospice Care New Mexico Health Resources New Mexico Primary Care Association SYNCRONYS (New Mexico Health Information Exchange) University of New Mexico Center fo r Telehealth UNM Project ECHO NEW MEXICO BROADBAND NM Broadband Program Overview of Broadband Program - Videos Mapping Training Resources Strategic Planning INTERSTATE & TELEMEDICINE LICENSURE Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (NM is not yet a participant) Federation of State Medical Boards New Mexico Physician Licensure Requirements (including telemedicine) New Mexico Physician License Application instructions (see last page for telemedicine) NM Broadband Interstate Licensure TELEMEDICINE ASSOCIATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS American Telemedicine Association (ATA) Center for Connected Health Policy Center for Telehealth & e-Health Law Southwest Telehealth Resource Center National Library of Medicine National Telemedicine Initiative Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHS) Telemed Associations Org. TELEHEALTH TRAINING Telemental Health Training : Providing healthcare organizations and clinicians with ethical, legal, technological, and clinical frameworks for conducting effective telehealth sessions. Telehealth Trainings : The Arizona Telemedicine Training Program and Southwest Telehealth Resource Center offer 1-day training courses on telemedicine and telehealth. National Consortium of Telehealth Resources : Building a telehealth program? Browse through our offerings from Telehealth Resource Centers. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, use our contact form or give us a call. We have an abundance of resources available! Weitzman Institute : Weitzman ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) provides specialty support for primary care providers seeking to gain expertise in management of certain complex illnesses and conditions, including COVID-19, MAT, Chronic Pain, and more. TH trainings New Mexico: A Leader in Telehealth Laws New Mexico has one of the most progressive telehealth statutes in the entire U.S. View Statutes Experts in Telehealth: An Interview Series A series of brief interviews from local and regional experts sharing experience, insights, and guidance on telehealth. Access Interviews Get answers from the NM Department of Information Technology (NM DoIT). Contact NM DoIT Broadband Questions? Contact U.S. Senator Ben Ray Lujan to discuss you r telehealth issues, ideas, and goals. Policy & Advocacy Contact Senator Lujan COVID & TELEMEDICINE NEWMEXICO.gov (Guidance for Providing Patient Care by Electronic Means During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.) NM Medicaid, COVID-19, and Telehealth Resources NM-HSD April 6, 2020: Special COVID-19 Supplement #3 – Guidance for New Mexico Medicaid Providers NRTRC COVID-19 and Telehealth Resources ATA COVID-19 Response Webinar Series eHealth Initiative COVID-19 News, Resources, and Events Weitzman Institute COVID-19 Resource Page An Analysis of Private Payer Telehealth Coverage During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Center for Connected Health Policy) UNM Resources: COVID-19 briefings COVID-19 practice guidelines COVID-19 therapeutic evidence Covid resources Top of Page NM Based Orgs NM Broadband Interstate Licensure Telemed Associations Org. TH trainings Covid resources

COVID-19 Policy Playbook Recommends Removal of Telehealth Restrictions for OUD Treatment Center for Connected Health Policy May 2021 Legal recommendations for a safer more equitable future Researchers from the Network for Public Health Law have published a COVID-19 Policy Playbook, that outlines legal recommendations for a safer more equitable future. Chapter 18 of the playbook features access issues to treat individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). The chapter outlines several of the federal concessions made for telehealth during the PHE, including the ability to utilize non-public facing audio-visual communication technology regardless of their level of HIPAA compliance, and the ability to prescribe controlled substances, particularly buprenorphine via telemedicine. They also note that states have made similar flexibilities available at the state level in many cases. The chapter concludes with a list of recommendations, including the following: *The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) should permit treatment to be initiated via telehealth *Restrictions should be removed on who can receive treatment via telehealth. *States should authorize provision of buprenorphine via telehealth where applicable. COVID-19 Policy Playbook: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5956e16e6b8f5b8c45f1c216/t/6064ad386b6e756cabb56f96/1617210684660/COVIDPolicyPlaybook-March2021.pdf < Previous News Next News >

Top of Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 NMTHA's Telehealth Toolkit NMTHA's Telehealth Toolkit provides: Templates Best practice guidelines Gene ral resources Links to additional toolkits 11 telehealth topic areas, including: Client engagement Provider eng agement Provider self-care Technology Clinical specialities As part of a grant provided by the New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD), the resources below were curated and organized to match themes from interviews and surveys supported through efforts by the NMTHA and Anchorum St. Vincent . How do we address broadband and other telehealth challenges in rural New Mexico? How do we get started with telemedicine? How do we improve client engagement? How do we improve provider engagement? How do we manage our telehealth practice? How can we reduce provider burnout? How do we use/expand telehealth in schools and youth programs? What are the best ways to use telehealth for clinical specialties? What is the future of telehealth? What is the latest data on telehealth? How do we collect data on telehealth use? What telehealth platforms are best (and other technology questions)? 1 HOW DO WE ADDRESS BROADBAN D AND OTHER TELEHEALTH CHALLENGES IN RURAL NEW MEXICO? To o lk i ts Rural Telehealth Toolkit T h is toolkit from the Rural Health Informat ion Hub, compiles evidence-based, promising models and resources to support organizations in identifying and implementing telehealth programs to address common challenges experienced in rural communities across the United States. Audience: Facility leadership and providers in rural areas. G ene ral Resources Active Programs to Improve Telehealth Services in Remote Areas Office of the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT) provides funding to promote and improve telehealth services in rural areas. Audience: Executive leadership for clinics/facilities in rural areas. Virtual Critical Care: A Lifeline for Rural Hospitals and Patients (CASE STUDY) Auburn University Health and Amwell identify methods participating rural hospitals used to reduce their transfers by more than 80%, enabling patients to receive care in their communities with minimal disruption to continuity of care. Comparing Televideo and Telephone Behavioral Health Services for People with Chronic Mental Illness Powerpoint presentation from the UNM Rural Psychiatry Program, Annual Spring Conference: "Adapting Care for 2021 and Beyond." HOW DO WE GET STARTED WITH TELEMEDICINE? Toolkits Setting Up Tele-Be havioral Health Service This step-by-step guide provided by the Indian Health Services is meant to be comprehensive, touching upon everything that may need to be considered in s etting up Telebehavioral health services at your site. Audience: Facility directors and providers serving tribal and Indigenous populations. Telehealth Program Developer Kit From the California Telehealth Resource Center: "The CTRC Program Developer was designed to assist in developing and implementing telehealth services. This Guide provides overview information on the process and the activities and information you will collect during each of the development phases. Each of the steps is designed to allow an organization to consider critical aspects of development and to support decision making.” Telehealth Implementation Playbook Learn more about identifying the need for telehealth, finding a vendor, designing the workflow, implementing, and scaling from the American Medical Association. A Toolkit for Building and Growing a Sustainable Telehealth Program in Your Practice Telehealth services and payment, roles and responsibilities, licensing and legal requirements, technology, workflow, and family medicine scenarios. Toolkit from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) . Templa tes Telemedicine Multi-S ite Agreement Arizona Telemedicine offers a template for consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements for involved parties. Best Practice Guidelines 15 Key Steps to Creating a Business Proposal to Implement Telemedicine Here you’ll find a concise overview of 15 steps to implement a successful telemedicine program at your facility. Offered by the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center. Audience: Directors and Executive leadership. General Resources Telehealth Start-Up and Resource Guide Covering Telehealth vs. Telemedicine, ATA and AMA guidelines, startup to sustainability, telehealth module and outlook, reimbursement guide, Medicaid, Medicare billing, CNM code information and other resources. This start-up and resource guide was created in partnership between Telligen and gpTRAC, the GreatPlains Telehealth Resource and Assistance Center. It is intended to provide an overview and framework for implementing telehealth in critical access hospitals and rural areas, and to point the reader toward reliable and informative resources for learning about telehealth and the organizations that support the use of telehealth in various ways. General Provider Telehealth and Telemedicine Tool Kit This document contains links to reliable information sources regarding telehealth and telemedicine. Most information is directed toward providers seeking to establish a permanent telemedicine program with specific documents useful for choosing telemedicine vendors, initiating a telemedicine program, monitoring patients remotely, and developing documentation tools. The New Normal: Tips for Making Telemedicine Part of Your Permanent Practice September 2020, 1:02:46 Alaska Native Medical Center and Shoshone Family Medical Center join together via Project ECHO to help participants understand tactics to develop a well-rounded telehealth program, move telemedicine into their standard operations, outline the elements of a telemedicine quality program, understand considerations of health equity in telemedicine, proactively and reactively address patient barriers, and outline infrastructure components needed to support ongoing program success. Audience: Facility directors ready to establish a telemedicine program. Telemedicine: Where Do I Start? July 2020, 1:03:41 Project ECHO, Shepherd’s Clinic, UV Medicine, and CommonSpirit Health offer an expert-guided video on how to start and subsequently navigate telemedicine. Audience: Facility directors ready to establish a telemedicine program. 2 3 HOW DO WE IMPROVE CLIENT ENGAGEMENT? Templates Behavioral Telehealth Session Checklist Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network provides this checklist put together by Operation PAR, Inc. to provide basic guidance on the before-, during-, and after- of a telehealth session. Audience: Behavioral health providers using telehealth and looking to improve their interactions with clients or behavioral health providers using telehealth for the first time. Telehealth Instructions for Behavioral Health Patients Behavioral Health Partners offers telehealth instructions to behavioral health patients in preparation for a telehealth visit. Patient Consent Form Telemedicine patient consent form provided by the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center. Audience: Facility directors. Telehealth Instructions for Behavioral Health Patients Behavioral Health Partners offers telehealth instructions to behavioral health patients in preparation for the telehealth visit. Audience: Behavioral health providers using telehealth and looking to improve their interactions with clients or behavioral health providers using telehealth for the first time. Telehealth Visit Etiquette Checklist From the American Medical Association: "This checklist is intended for clinicians and care team members who will be hosting the telehealth visit to ensure that the professional standards of in-person care is maintained in a virtual environment.” Audience: Telemedicine and telebehavioral health providers. Patient Information Sheet (English) Overview of telehealth visit for patients from the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Patient Information Sheet (Spanish) Overview of telehealth visit for patients from the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Best Practice Guidelines Telehealth Etiquette Video Series In this series of videos, we learn the difference between a Bad, Good, and even Better telehealth consult. While some demonstrations may seem humorous or “over the top,” all are based on actual patient scenarios. As you watch, notice the difference between the Good, the Bad, and the downright Ugly. Provided by the South Central Telehealth Resource Center and produced by Old Dominion University College of Health Sciences, School of Nursing. Audience: Telemedicine and telebehavioral health providers. General Resources Telehealth Best Practice s April 2020, 0:04:06 A short video from the Hawaii State Department of Health Genomics Section highlighting best practices for healthcare providers when using telehealth to provide services. Audience: All providers. 4 HOW DO WE IMPROVE PROVIDER ENGAGEMENT? General Resources Clinical Best Practices and the Art of the Tele-Physical Exam September 2020, 0:59:31 This video aims to help providers understand the process of conducting a telemedicine visit, select the equipment needed to conduct a physical assessment through telemedicine, collec t physical data through a videoconferencing session without peripherals , and utilize creative strategies to obtain clinical data. Provided by the University of New Mexico’s Project ECHO as a joint effort with the Center for Telehealth Innovation, Education, & Research; Old Dominion University; and the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center. Audience: Primary care providers. Physicians' Motivations and Requirements to Adopting Digital Clinical Tools February 2020 Study by the American Medical Association on “Physicians’ motivations and requirements for adopting digital health and adoption and attitudinal shifts from 2016 to 2019.” Audience: Executive leadership. Telehealth Driver Diagram Develop a sustainable, patient-centered, and equitable telehealth model and achieve an advanced level of maturity with the FQHC Consortium diagram. Top Five Tips for Managing Expectations and Challenges of Transitioning to Telehealth May, 2020, 0:17:46 Discussion of the "Top 5 tips for Managing Expectations and Coping with the Challenges of Transitioning to Telehealth." Speakers: Nancy Roget, Executive Director of the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies at the University of Nevada–Reno and Co-Director of the Mountain Plain Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Regional Center, and Paul Warren, research project director at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Substance Use Disorders, in association with Columbia University and Project Manager for the Northeast and Caribbean ATTC. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. 5 HOW DO WE MANAGE OUR TELEHEALTH PRACTICE? Toolkits Organizational Assessment Toolkit for Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration Designed by a team of integration experts and offered by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the Organizational Assessment Toolkit for primary and behavioral health care Integration (OATI) provides a compendium of tools that lay out a path for organizations to assess readiness for integration, as well as benchmarking opportunities for those organizations well down the line in integration efforts. Audience: Facility directors and providers looking to integrate primary care and behavioral health. Telehealth Playbook Federally Qualified Health Centers Telehealth Consortium provides a Telehealth Playbook as a how-to guide to support the adoption and sustainability of telehealth at health centers. Templates Job Description RN Coordinator - Telehealth Sample Sample from UW Health. (University of Wisconsin) Audience: Clinic administrators and directors. Job Description: Telehealth Program Coordinator Sample Sample from the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Audience: Clinic administrators a nd directors. Job Description: The Telemedicine Navigator (TMN) Sample Sample from the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Audience: clinic administrators and directors. Job Descriptions Multiple Telemedicine Positions Includes several sample telemedicine job descriptions from the California Telehealth Resource Center. Audience: clinic administrators, directors and executive leadership. Appointment Types & Duration Guide From the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Audience: Clinic administrators. Best Practice Guidelines Billing for Telehealth Encounters: An Introductory Guide on Fee-for-Service Prepared by the Center for Connected Health Policy and The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center to provide guidance on billing for telehealth and virtual healthcare and fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare and Medicaid programs. Audience: Facility directors and providers. General Resources 2021 Medicare Coverage and Payment for Audio Only Services (Telephone E/M) The Association of American Medical Colleges provides an overview of current Medicare coverage for audio-only services. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Billing and Coding Medicare Fee-for-Service Claims During the COVID-19 Pandemic More Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) services are billable as telehealth during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Read the latest guida nce on billing and coding FFS telehealth claims. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Coding Scenario: Coding for Telehealth Visits Guide for how to bill for a variety of telehealth visits from the American Academy of Family Physicians. Audience: Facility directors and providers. C overage and Payment for Telemedicine The American Medical Association offers an overview of health plan coverage and payment for telemedicine services. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Interstate Medical Licensure Compact American Medical Association explains pathway to expedite licensing of physicians already licensed in another state. Audience: Facility directors. NCTRC Webinar - Digital Marketing: Best Practices for Direct-to-Consumer Telehealth July 2020, 0:59:09 This South Central Telehealth Resource Center presentation lays the foundation for building a digital strategy for telemedicine practice. Participants will learn how to identify opportunities to reduce friction based on consumer journey, discuss highest value marketing channels based on consumer data, define audience segments, and outline conversion goals. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. NCTRC Webinar - Leveraging Telehealth to Address Social Determinants November 2020, 1:00:08 The National Consortium of Telehealth Resources presents on how the healthcare industry's shift from fee-for-service (FFS) to value-based care, planning, implementing, and enhancing telehealth as a service delivery model, makes it crucial to ensure practices are on the leading edge - not the bleeding edge - of reimbursement strategies. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Overview of Telehealth Billing and Reimbursement Policies August 2020, 1:03:35 The Center for Connected Health Policy, via Project ECHO, presented this installment during a 10-week series offered by the National COVID Response peer-to-peer learning. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Policy Telehealth Coding and Payment Quick Guide The American Medical Association’s Advocacy team summarizes the latest updates in Federal policy , including key policy and payment considerations. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Service Provider Directory Telemedicine and Telehealth The directory lists companies providing medical specialty services (e.g., radiology, rheumatology, neurology, psychiatry) and ancillary services (e.g., patient education and language interpretation) through telemedicine to healthcare providers (e.g., hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, private practices, urgent care centers). Audience: Hospital and healthcare administrators and other decision-makers who want to expand or improve their healthcare services to their patients, employees, clients, etc. by connecting them with specialty care. Telehealth and Health Equity: Considerations for Addressing Health Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic September 2020, 1:04:50 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presenters discuss the intersection of telehealth and health equity, and the implications for health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presenters will identify long-standing systemic health and social inequities that contribute to COVID-19 health disparities while highlighting the opportunities and limitations of telehealth implementation as an actionable solution. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. Telemedicine Policy Guidelines for creating a telemedicine policy from the American Medical Association. Audience: Facility directors. Telemedicine Quick Reference Guide Created by BlueCross/BlueShield of New Mexico to help providers with questions on telemedicine services and billing. Please note: this does not include federal or state exceptions for the Public Health Emergency for COVID. Audience: Directors and providers offering telemedicine in New Mexico. Workflows and Documentation August 2020, 1:02:00 The California Telehealth Resource Center, along with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Mary’s Center, offer a Project ECHO video presentation showing basics of facilitating workflow conversations, creating workflow maps, and how to pull together and lead successful teams. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. Podcasts Top Five Clinical Best Practices for Telehealth April 2020, 0:10:08 Mary Ellen Evers, LCSW, CAADC, a registered telebehavioral health clinician for mental health and addiction services and a telebehav ioral health trainer for the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies, shares her top five clinical best practices for providing services via telehealth platforms. Audience: Providers. Top Five Tips for Group Services via Telehealth April 2020, 0:09:03 Sandes Boulanger, LCSW, MCAP, the Vice President of Clinical Services for Operation Par, Inc., located in Florida, shares her top five tips for running group sessions and support via telehealth during COVID-19. Audience: Providers. Top Five Tips for Telehealth Implementation April 2020, 0:09:22 Kathy Wibberly, the Director of the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center located at the University of Virginia Karen S. Rheuban Center for Telehealth, gives her top five tips for successful implementation of telehealth services. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. Top Seven Telehealth Privacy Considerations April 2020, 0:09:41 The Center for Excellence for Protected Health Information presents key points around privacy, HIPAA, and confidentiality when providing telehealth behavioral health and addiction services, with Jacqueline Seitz, JD; CoE-PHI, Christine Khaikin, JD; CoE-PHI, and Michael Graziano. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers serving behavioral health patients. Top Seven Tips for Telehealth Billing April 2020, 0:18:34 A review of best practices for billing for telehealth services to ensure reimbursement during COVID-19, presented by Kathy Wibberly, PhD, the director of the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center located at the University of Virginia. Audience: Facility directors and providers. 6 HOW DO WE REDUCE PROVIDER BURNOUT? Toolkit Physician Suicide and Support The American Medical Association discusses how to identify at-risk physicians and facilitate access to appropriate care. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Provider Self-Care Toolkit The National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder discusses how managers can support employees struggling with burnout and stress. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Tips for Supporting Employee Mental Health The National Council for Mental Wellbeing offers a toolkit on Stress, Anxiety, Depression: "What it Looks Like at Work and How to Provide Support." Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. General Resources Burnout in Healthcare Workers: Prevalence, Impact, and Preventative Strategies Article from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine . Audience: Providers and executive leadership. Equipping Physicians to Manage Burnout Resources from the American Medical Association, including a tip of the week, free learning modules, and podcasts. Audience: healthcare leaders and providers. Gratitude Practice for Nurses The Gratitude Practice for Nurses initiative is a joint effort of the American Nurses Foundation and the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, aimed at cultivating the practice of gratitude within the nursing profession. Decades of research have shown that practicing gratitude is highly effective in promoting physical and psychological health, both at the individual and organizational levels. Audience: Nurses and healthcare leaders. Mental Health Support for Healthcare Providers Support from the National Alliance on Mental Health includes confidential and professional support, peer support, resources on building resiliency, and more. Audience: All medical and behavioral treatment staff and providers. Provider Burnout: Prioritizing Self-Care to Strengthen Patient Care Ideas for self-care from the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Audience: All medical and behavioral treatment staff and providers. 7 HOW DO WE USE/EXPAND TELEHEALTH IN SCHOOLS AND YOUTH PROGRAMS? Toolkit National Telehealth Toolkit for Educators/Faculty Created in 2019, a group of over 45 nursing faculty from 19 U.S. States, Canada, and 28 universities met to develop a telehealth toolkit with the goal of providing faculty with content needed to integrate telehealth across the curriculum for health professions programs. Roadmap for Action: Advancing the Adoption of Telehealth in Child Care Centers and Schools to Promote Children’s Health and Well-Being School-Based Checklist and Resources Compiled by the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Pennsylvania State University, this document provides a variety of checklists as well as links to additional resources. Audience: Directors of school and youth programs using telehealth. Best Practice Guidelines Evaluation Considerations for Delivering Virtual School-B ased OT Services via Telehealth Checklist, resources, and recommendations provided by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Audience: Directors of school and youth programs using telehealth. General Resources How to Start and Implement a School-Based Telehealth Program How to Build a School-Based Telemedicine Program in Your Community 0:52:21 The South Central Telehealth Resource Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, offers a video on building a school-based telemedicine program. Audience: Directors of school and youth programs looking to implement a telemedicine program. R eimbursement of School-Based Telehealth Services-Report The National Academy for State Health Policy report explores how states are increasing their Medicaid coverage of school-based telehealth services during COVID-19, determining which services can be effectively delivered through telehealth, and supporting equitable access to telehealth services for students. Audience: Directors of school and youth programs using telehealth. 8 WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO USE TELEHEALTH FOR CLINICAL SPECIALTIES? Behavioral Health Best Practice Guide Introduction to telehealth for behavioral health care. Audience: Executive leadership and fac ility directors. Telehealth Delivery of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) The Medical University of South Carolina offers a 2-part webinar series: Part 1 (0:59:26) - Provides logistics for delivering trauma-informed, evidence-based mental health services via telehealth (e.g., necessary equipment, procedures, documentation, ethical considerations) Part 2 (1:41:09) - Provides specific tips and resources for delivering Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) via telehealth. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Dentistry ADA Guide to Understanding and Documenting Teledentistry Events The American Dental Association provides Q&A with scenarios providing insight and understanding of how care is delivered and reported wh en teledentistry is a facet of the process. Audience: Dental office directors and providers. Emergency Departments Best Practice Guide: Introduction to Telehealth Practices for Emergency Departments The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides information on getting started, billing, tele-triage, tele-emergency care, virtual rounds, e-consults, and telehealt h for follow-up care. Audience: Executive leadership, ED directors, and providers. Hospice and Palliati ve Care Best Practices for Using Telehealth in Hospice and Palliative Care Article from the National Library of Medicine highlights the work of expert clinicians from multiple hospice and palliative care organizations to develop best practices for conducting telehealth visits in inpatient and community settings. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Maternal Health UMTRC Webinar: Ohio Telehealth Billing & Reimbursement Webinar for Maternal Health May 2020, 0:55:22 Ohio State University and the Ohio Department of Health provide a video on how maternal health providers in Ohio can integrate telehealth into their clinical practices, and a deep dive into telehealth reimbursement for maternal health, with an emphasis on Ohio Medicaid. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Pediatrics Pediatric Telemedicine in Ambulatory and Inpatient Settings D uring COVID-19 and Beyond May 2020, 1:0 4:51 The University of Minnesota Pediatrics Grand Rounds offers a video that describes: 1. Evolution of telemedicine practice before and since COVID in pediatric ambulatory and inpatient settings. 2. Three elements of best practice for effective telemedicine visits. 3. Advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine in Pediatrics. 4. Applications for telemedicine after the COVID-19 pandemic in your practice. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Remote Monitoring Remote Patient Monitoring Toolkit The Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Reso urce Center designed a toolkit to help many different audiences quickly understand remote patient monitoring and define the responsibilities of each role. Audience: Facility directors and providers. Substance Use Disorders Telehealth for the Treatment of Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders From the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): “This guide reviews ways that telehealth modalities can be used to provide treatment for serious mental illness and substance use disorders among adults, distills the research into recommendations for practice, and provides examples of how these recommendations can be implemented.” Audience: Behavioral health providers and clinical supervisors. Tele-Treatment for Substance Use Disorders Treating substance use disorders via telehealth requires expertise and training in addiction care. Telehealth Health and Human Services provide special considerations to keep in mind for telehealth substance use treatment. Audience: Facility directors and providers. 9 WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF TELEHEALTH? Best Practice Guidelines Current State Laws and Policies for New Mexico Current state laws and policies related to telemedicine in New Mexico curated by the Center for Connected Health Policy. Audience: Ex ecutive leadership, facility directors and providers. Statute on Establishing a Patient-Physician Relationship Via Telehealth The American Medical Association offers a quick reference guide for providing care with medical ethics while maintaining the patient’s well-being via telemedicine. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. General Resources A New Decade for Telehealth: A Loo k at the Rapid Rise in Telehealth Adoption and What's Required to Support its Growth White paper from Spectrum Enterprise, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., a national provider of scalable, fiber te chnology solutions serving America’s largest businesses and communications service providers. Audience: Executive leadership. Covering the Cost of Telehealth White paper from Spectrum Enterprise, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., a national provider of scalable, fiber technology solutions serving America’s largest businesses and communications service providers: “Healthcare leaders expect patient demand for digital services to continue rising — even after the COVID-19 public health crisis subsides. That in turn has healthcare organizations (HCOs) strategizing on how to cover the costs of the telehealth investments they’ll need to meet rising demands in the months and years ahead.” Audience: Executive leadership. How Telehealth Can Support People Living in the Community The American Telehealth Association provides background education on telehealth, increases awareness of the benefits of telehealth that support community living, and raises policy considerations for States, health plans, and providers. Medicare and Medicaid COVID-19 Program Flexibilities and Considerations for Their Continuation Statements of Jessica Farb, Director of Health Care, and Carolyn L. Yocom, Director of Health Care, were incorporated in the Testimony Before the Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to discuss flexibilities related to Medicare and Medicaid made available during the public health emergency. Testimony highlights the various flexibilities and waivers implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides preliminary information on how these flexibilities have likely benefited providers and beneficiaries. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. Pending Telehealth Legislation and Regulation in New Mexico and the United States A quick reference guide presented by the Center for Connected Health Policy. Audience: Healthcare leadership and all providers. Return on Health: Moving Beyond Dollars and Cents in Realizing the Value of Virtual Care This report, jointly developed by the American Medical Association and Manatt Health Strategies, expands on existing research by articulating a more robust framework for measuring the value of digitally enabled care that accounts for the various ways in which virtual care programs may increase the overall “return on health” by generating positive impact for patients, clinicians, payers and society going forward. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. Telehealth Needs & Opportunities: Emerging Findings from Non-Profit Behavioral Health Providers in Northern New Mexico Special Report from the New Mexico Telehealth Alliance and Anchorum St. Vincent, a community health impact organization, resulting from a needs assessment in early 2021. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. 10 WHAT IS THE LATEST DATA ON TELEHEALTH USE OR HOW DO WE COLLECT DATA ON TELEHEALTH USE? Te mplates Telehealth Patient Experience Survey Sample survey from the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Audie nce: Providers and administrators. General Resources Configuring Telehealth Visits Using RPMS and EHR Presentation by the Indian Health Service from Sept. 2020 regarding standardization for national tracking and reporting. Audience: Facility directors and provid ers serving native and Indigenous populations. Measures of S uccess: 5 Key Metrics for Evaluating Telehealth Services White paper from Spectrum Enterprise, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., a national provider of scalable, fiber technology solutions serving America’s largest businesses and communications service providers. Audience: Executive leadership. Measuring Patient Experience and Satisfaction with Telemedicine: A Quick Guide to Survey Selection The California Health Care Foundation provides a guide to support and inform quality improvement efforts at health centers. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Supporting Today’s Data-Intensive Clinical Environments Spectrum Enterprise, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., a national provider of scalable, fiber technology solutions serving America’s largest businesses and communications service providers, offers tep-by-step guidance for planning a network infrastructure that advances digital health initiatives and improves efficiency and patient outcomes. Audience: Executive leadership. Telemedicine and Non-Telemedicine Visit Experience Interview Guides The University of Rochester provides an interview guide designed to be conducted with patients, physicians, nurses, and office staff in an ambulatory setting and includes questions to assess users' satisfaction and perceptions of telehealth. Audience: Executive leadership, facility directors and providers. 11 WHAT TELEHEALTH PLATFORMS ARE BEST AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS? Toolkits Remote Patient Monitoring Platforms: Vendor Overview Snapshot of various platforms from the FQHC Teleheal th Consortium. Telehealth Platforms: Vendor Overview Snapshot of various platforms from the FQHC Telehealth Consortium. Vendor Selection Toolkit From the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center, this provides some quick info on selecting your telehealth vendor. Audience: Directors and executive leadership. General Resources AMA Telehealth Implementation Playbook Includes a vendor evaluation checklist on pages 32-38. Audience: Directors and executive leadership. Comparing 11 Top Telehealth Platforms: Company Execs Tout Quality, Safety, EHR Integrations Article from HealthcareIT News. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. Growing Digital Health Innovation Means It’s Time for a Bandwidth Checkup Whitepaper from Spectrum Enterprise, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., a national provider of scalable, fiber technology solutions serving America’s largest businesses and communications service providers. Audience: Directors and executive leadership. Telehealth Technology Trends October 2020, 0:59:41 National Consortium of Telehealth Resources: The Telehealth Technology Assessment Resource Center (TTAC) has seen a significant shift in choosing telehealth technology for providing patient care, specifically in choosing video conferencing platforms and providing care to the patient in the home, both from the provider and the consumer perspective. TTAC gives a short overview of changing trends observed now and for the future. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors. The Top 30 Tools for Improving Your Telehealth Implementation Telehealth tools, hardware, software, monitoring and on-demand portals from Cambridge Brain Sciences. Audience: Executive leadership and facility directors.

Telehealth now serves unmet needs, says athenahealth Andrea Fox October 04, 2022 Virtual care is playing a more significant role in filling gaps in delivery, having evolved from pandemic-era visit replacement, according to a new study from the cloud IT developer. Increased telehealth utilization points to wider use as a diagnostic and triage tool, particularly among those with chronic conditions. WHY IT MATTERS New research, based on a Dynata survey of 2,000 U.S. adults that was commissioned by athenahealth conducted in June and July of this year, and data on booked and completed appointments through the athenahealth electronic health record suggest telehealth is now integrated across the care continuum. "Our data shows that after the height of the pandemic, many physicians continue to rely on telehealth, as they see the tremendous value it can provide," said Jessica Sweeney-Platt, vice president of research and editorial strategy at athenahealth, in a statement. The use of telehealth is especially evident among those with chronic conditions. While 24% of those surveyed say their health concern didn't warrant an in-person visit, 23% of respondents indicated their telehealth visits were scheduled check-ins related to chronic conditions, and 9% used telehealth as well for ad hoc care for their conditions. The respondents with chronic conditions reported using telehealth in place of as well as between visits to help manage their conditions, suggesting telehealth is serving a previously unmet need for proactive healthcare. Telehealth has also increased the willingness of patients to seek mental healthcare, with 25% of survey respondents indicating they opted for telehealth sessions to address new mental health conditions. Twenty-three percent shared that they were more likely to ask for mental health support because telehealth was available to them. The findings also revealed patterns of use based on gender and race. The EHR data from January 1, 2019, through April 30, 2022, evaluated in the study showed that in 2021, male providers had 24% lower odds of providing a telehealth visit than their female counterparts. Provider gender also affected patient adoption of telehealth. Patients who worked with a single male provider had 60% lower odds of adoption compared to patients with only a female provider. "Additionally, previous research has shown that female clinicians tend to spend more time with patients, which could further explain higher provider adoption of telehealth among females compared to males, with female providers using telehealth as an additional tool for connecting with patients," said Sweeney-Platt. The research also showed Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to use telehealth services, but less likely to do so with one dedicated provider, suggesting improved access to care but not improved continuity of care. THE LARGER TREND A previous study of 40.7 million commercially-insured adults in the United States – a study of a nationally representative population – published earlier this year found that patients with acute clinical conditions who first sought care via telehealth were more likely to follow up at the emergency room or be admitted to the hospital that those who sought care in person. However, when it came to chronic conditions, follow-up was less likely for those with an initial telehealth visit, finding telehealth comparable to in-person care. The researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, along with collaborators from Blue Health Intelligence and the Digital Medicine Society compared telehealth and in-person encounters by looking at factors associated with changing patterns of telehealth use beyond the initial months of the pandemic. ON THE RECORD "Our research brings to light the vital role telehealth can play in patient care. Not only does it increase access to care, but it can drive better patient outcomes when used as an extension of in-person visits to provide continuity of care," said Sweeney-Platt in announcing the findings. "Telehealth is now a core tenet of healthcare delivery in the U.S.," said Greg Carey, director of regulatory and government affairs at athenahealth, according to a prepared statement about telehealth fulfilling its promise on the company's website. Correction: The original version of the article indicated that the Dynata survey was of athenaOne network patients. Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News. Email: afox@himss.org Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication. See original article: https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/telehealth-now-serves-unmet-needs-says-athenahealth < Previous News Next News >

2022 Proposed Physician Fee Schedule Center for Connected Health Policy July 2021 ...I want my MTV (Mental Telehealth Visits)! On July 13, 2021, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released their proposed CY 2022 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). The PFS is historically where CMS will make administrative changes to telehealth policy in the Medicare program. As the pandemic begins to stabilize and restrictions begin to lift, there has been great concern as to what will happen with the temporary telehealth changes on the federal level. The CY 2022 proposed PFS is one step towards addressing those questions. Telehealth Services & Communications Technology Based Services (CTBS) The PFS is traditionally where CMS will add additional telehealth services to the eligible telehealth services list for Medicare. No new services were added in the CY 2022 proposal. Instead, CMS made permanent adoption of G2252, virtual check-in service of 11-20 minutes, which was introduced in last year’s PFS and noted that the temporary services they had placed in Category 3, also in last year’s PFS, will remain active until the end of CY 2023 and not the end of the year that the public health emergency (PHE) is declared over. Mental Health & Audio-Only The most significant proposals involve the provision of mental health services via telehealth and utilization of audio-only to deliver those services. In December 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) which included a change to federal telehealth policy. That change allowed for the provision of mental health services in the home and without the geographic limitation, if the patient had an in-person visit with the telehealth provider within six months prior to the telehealth service taking place. CMS is implementing that policy and outlined details in the PFS noting that the in-person visit would need to have taken place before each telehealth encounter. Therefore, if you had an in-person visit with your telehealth provider a month before you received services via telehealth, that visit would qualify. But if you wanted a follow-up visit eight months later via telehealth, you would need to have another in-person visit with that provider. Additionally, CMS stated that because of the likelihood that mental health services provided via technology will continue post-pandemic, the concern about cutting off people who receive such services, and the efficacy of utilizing audio-only to provide mental health services, the agency is revisiting its stance on how it defines “interactive telecommunications system.” In federal statute, telehealth is provided through a “telecommunications system.” There is no federal definition for “telecommunications system.” In regulations, CMS added the word “interactive” before “telecommunications system.” CCHP has always maintained and provided comments to CMS over the years that given the lack of a federal statutory definition for “telecommunication system,” it is within CMS’ power to change the definition to be more expansive. In comments to last year’s PFS and at the end of the year when the public was solicited for comments regarding the temporary waivers, CCHP reiterated this position. In their response to comments in last year’s PFS, CMS noted that they “continue to believe that our longstanding regulatory definition of “telecommunications system” reflected the intent of statute and that the term should continue to be defined as including two way, real-time, audio/video communications technology.” In the proposed CY 2022 PFS, CMS has reassessed their position. Based on data from COVID-19 and other factors, CMS is proposing to allow the use of audio-only to provide mental health services in the Medicare program if: It is for an established patient; The originating site is the patient’s home; The provider has the technical capability to use live video but, The patient cannot or does not want to use live video and There must be an in-person visit within six months of the telehealth service. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)/Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) CCHP has maintained that additional flexibilities may be given to FQHCs and RHCs without Congressional action by redefining what constitutes as a “visit” for these entities. CMS is proposing to expand the definition of a “mental health visit” for FQHCs and RHCs by including that definition mental health services provided through “interactive, real-time telecommunications technology” including audio-only. For the latter, the patient must not be capable or not consent to the use of live video. Additionally, the rate paid to FQHCs and RHCs will be their prospective payment system (PPS) rate or all-inclusive rate (AIR). It should be noted that FQHCs and RHCs will still be not be considered distant providers providing telehealth services. This is a definition change to what constitutes a “mental health visit” for these entities. Therefore, that would also mean that the statutory limitations on the use of telehealth, such as geographic limits, would presumably not apply if CMS is not viewing this as “telehealth” but simply as a visit for these entities. Other items were proposed in the CY 2022 PFS. To read about those proposals and a more in-depth look at the aforementioned ones, download CCHP’s fact sheet (below). Public comments on the PFS are due September 13, 2021. CCHP’s fact sheet - https://www.cchpca.org/2021/07/Proposed-CY-2022-Physician-Fee-Schedulefinal.pdf < Previous News Next News >

Contact SBRL Community Contacts Get answers to your Federal and State broadband questions: New Mexico broadband contacts Federal broadband contacts Contacts for New Mexico broadband questions: Rand Tilton, NM Department of Informatio n Technology (NM DoIT)/Broadband Rand.Tilton@state.nm.us Gar Clarke, NM DoIT Geospatial Program Manager Presented October 2021 webinar: "NM Broadband and What’s Next." Recording: HERE Sli des: HERE NM Broadband Program (NMBBP ): Online Interactive Broadband Map Statewide Broadband Strategic Plan (June 2020) NM Speed Tester New Mexico Contacts for Federal broadband questions: U.S. Senator Ben Ray Lujan: Sen. Lujan wants to know about telehealth or broadband barriers and successes you have experienced. Telehealth barriers and successes: M e lanie_Goodman@lujan.senate.gov Health polic y matters: Calli_Shapiro@lujan.senate.gov Broadband and telecommunications matters: Jeffrey_Lopez@lujan.senate.gov. Senator Ben Ray Lujan's recording about New Mexico telehealth: HERE Federal

Principal Deputy Inspector General Grimm on Telehealth By Christi A. Grimm, HHS-OIG Principal Deputy Inspector General February 26, 2021 It has been just over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic and we remember the over 500,000 Americans who have lost their lives due to COVID-19. That figure is a stark reminder of the critical mission of the Department of Health and Human Services. Challenges in responding to the pandemic have been many, thorny and unprecedented. Consequential decisions often were made quickly to respond to the emergency and provide relief in the way of funding, supplies, and reductions in regulatory and procedural burden. This quick response and scope of relief make oversight, enforcement, transparency, program integrity, and accountability all the more important. It has been just over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic and we remember the over 500,000 Americans who have lost their lives due to COVID-19. That figure is a stark reminder of the critical mission of the Department of Health and Human Services. Challenges in responding to the pandemic have been many, thorny and unprecedented. Consequential decisions often were made quickly to respond to the emergency and provide relief in the way of funding, supplies, and reductions in regulatory and procedural burden. This quick response and scope of relief make oversight, enforcement, transparency, program integrity, and accountability all the more important. Early in the pandemic, OIG, along with many others, recognized the value of expanding options for accessing health care services. Telehealth is a prime example. Where telehealth and other remote access technologies were once a matter of convenience, the public health emergency made them a matter of safety for many beneficiaries. In some cases, health care providers needed regulatory flexibility to provide safe and effective care remotely during the ongoing pandemic. In March 2020, we issued policy statements and FAQs in support of increased telehealth flexibilities. A year later, there is a robust national conversation about expanding coverage for telehealth services based on the experience providers and patients have had during the pandemic. For most, telehealth expansion is viewed positively, offering opportunities to increase access to services, decrease burdens for both patients and providers, and enable better care, including enhanced mental health care. A 2019 OIG study found that telehealth can be an important tool to improve patient access to behavioral health services. And as we observed in recent rulemaking, OIG recognizes the promise that telehealth and other digital health technologies have for improving care coordination and health outcomes. It is important that new policies and technologies with potential to improve care and enhance convenience achieve these goals and are not compromised by fraud, abuse, or misuse. OIG is conducting significant oversight work assessing telehealth services during the public health emergency. Once complete, these reviews will provide objective findings and recommendations that can further inform policymakers and other stakeholders considering what telehealth flexibilities should be permanent. This work can help ensure the potential benefits of telehealth are realized for patients, providers, and HHS programs. We anticipate the first work products to be published later this year. We are aware of concerns raised regarding enforcement actions related to "telefraud" schemes, and it is important to distinguish those schemes from telehealth fraud. In the last few years, OIG has conducted several large investigations of fraud schemes that inappropriately leveraged the reach of telemarketing schemes in combination with unscrupulous doctors conducting sham remote visits to increase the size and scale of the perpetrator's criminal operations. In many cases, the criminals did not bill for the sham telehealth visit. Instead, the perpetrators billed fraudulently for other items or services, like durable medical equipment or genetic tests. We will continue to vigilantly pursue these "telefraud" schemes and monitor the evolution of scams that may relate to telehealth. As our work and the national conversation continues, OIG believes there is a shared goal: ensuring that telehealth delivers quality, convenient care for patients and is not compromised by fraud. As we continue our COVID-19 oversight and enforcement work, we look forward to providing objective, independent information to stakeholders and policymakers. < Previous News Next News >

HIMSSCast: How emerging tech is opening new avenues in telehealth, RPM Mike Miliard October 28, 2022 Virtual therapeutics, voice recognition and fast-evolving artificial intelligence tools are transforming home-based care, says Robin Farmanfarmaian, co-author of the new book How AI Can Democratize Healthcare. Remote patient monitoring and other forms of virtual care are fast finding footholds in healthcare as patients get acquainted with these new care modalities, and as health systems learn to appreciate the cost efficiencies they offer. But telehealth and RPM are still in their early days, and fast-changing as they're augmented with other new and emerging digital health and artificial intelligence technologies. Robin Farmanfarmaian, a longtime Silicon Valley entrepreneur and co-author of the new book, How AI Can Democratize Healthcare, joined us recently to discuss how the growing momentum toward home-based care is being impacted by leading-edge innovations such as natural language processing, digital therapeutics and more. leading-edge-technologies-are-transforming-telehealth-and-rpm (1).mp3 Talking points: Where remote patient monitoring is now, and where it's headed How AI is changing how virtual care is delivered New approaches to patient engagement and experience What's next for digital therapeutics and other app-based interventions Innovative use cases for NLP and machine learning models More about this episode: The intersection of remote patient monitoring and AI How remote patient monitoring is moving into the mainstream AI-powered telehealth improves PT care at Essen Health Care Mayo Clinic working with Memora Health on virtual postpartum care AI-powered RPM can help address the rural neonatal care crisis How remote patient monitoring improves care, saves money AI and IoT device connects with concierge platform for RPM Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication. See original podcast: https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/himsscast-how-emerging-tech-opening-new-avenues-telehealth-rpm < Previous News Next News >

Telehealth's ‘great opportunity’ at community health centers Emily Olsen June 14, 2022 Ray Lowe, senior vice president and CIO at AltaMed Health Services, discusses his organization's move to virtual care at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and how such care can evolve. See original video: https://www.healthcareitnews.com/video/telehealths-great-opportunity-community-health-centers < Previous News Next News >

Grants & Funding The Federal government has numerous funding sources for telehelath support: USDA Community Connect Grants USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants Other Telemedicine Grants FCC Rural Health Care - Healthcare Connect Fund USDA COMMUNITY CONNECT GRANTS This federal program funds broadband deployment into rural communities where it is not yet economically viable for private sector provi ders to deliver service. For more information, please visit USDA Community Connect Grants . USDA DISTANCE LEARNING AND TELEMEDICINE GRA NTS Th is federal program helps rural communities use telecommunications' unique connectivity capabilities to overcome effects of remoteness and low population density. Grant funds may be used for a cquisition of eligible capital assets, such as: Technical assistance and instruction for using eligible equipment Inside wiring and similar infrastructu re that further DLT services Acquisition of instructional programming as a capital asset Computer hardware, network components, and software Audio, video, and interactive vid eo equipment Terminal and data terminal equipment For more information , please visit USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants . OTHER TELEMEDICINE GRANT OPPORTUNITES The Health and Human Services Division for telehealth and broadband related programs posts funding opp ortunities HE RE . HEALTHCARE CONNECT FUND The New Mexico Telehealth Alliance (N MTHA) manages the Southwest Telehealth Access Grid (SWTAG), a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved consortium for funding through the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF). If you manage one or more healthcare provider sites serving clients in New Mexico, contact NMTHA to discuss joining SWTAG. Advantages to applying to SWTAG via NMTHA include: Lower application and administrative costs. Access to expert funding advice for a mix of rural and urban sites. Professional assistance with proven track record of funding success. Additional information on eligibility and application procedures can be found HERE . Community Connect Distance Learning Other Healthcare Connect

Remote Patient Monitoring: Benefits, Barriers, and Billing Center for Connected Health Policy August 2021 Remote patient monitoring (RPM) policy considerations and how RPM can improve chronic condition care and prevention. Last month, the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) released a new report, Remote Patient Monitoring in the Safety Net: What Payers and Providers Need to Know, which looks at remote patient monitoring (RPM) policy considerations and how RPM can improve chronic condition care and prevention. The CHCF report focuses on RPM’s use specific to safety-net providers given system constraints particularly limiting chronic illness management to those patient populations. They note that in California, avoidable hospitalizations are highest for Medicaid beneficiaries and that almost 700 hospitalizations per 100,000 people could be prevented through better access to care and more effective chronic care management. In addition, they discuss that providers have seen how telehealth can improve treatment of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, as well as mortality and quality of life. RPM specifically has shown benefits for older patients and those facing barriers such as lack of transportation to care. Nevertheless, as discussed in the report, technological issues and strict reimbursement policies remain barriers to RPM utilization. The report also offers potential best practices for providers considering RPM adoption. RPM Basics and Benefits As noted on CCHP’s state and federal RPM policy tracking page, RPM is considered to be the collection of a wide range of health data from the point of care, such as vital signs, weight, and blood pressure measurements. The data is then transmitted to health professionals in facilities such as monitoring centers in primary care settings, hospitals and intensive care units, as well as skilled nursing facilities. The CHCF report gets into various RPM benefits found within the authors’ research across all settings, including how RPM maximizes use of the entire care team and enhances quality of care and outcomes, as well as how it can improve costs of care. Focus group information gathered for the report also showed that patients feel empowered when able to track trends related to their health information through RPM, becoming more engaged and also more willing to change treatment plans when related to the monitoring information. Other research cited found benefits specific to vulnerable populations, including high adherence and successful self-management education to high-risk and low-income populations. Examples were also provided showing that RPM can give patients, especially those that are Spanish-speaking, an overall sense of support. RPM Barriers Despite the evidence on its benefits, as mentioned previously, RPM is not widely used as a modality of care in the safety net, largely related to a number of technological and reimbursement policy barriers. For instance, ensuring that devices can integrate into electronic health records (EHRs) and that data is seamlessly shared and uploaded is crucial, but often costly. Some technological options also don’t offer an ability to be alerted to new and concerning information in a timely manner. Instead, the report discusses how often lower cost options include devices that are not directly connected to EHR systems and involve patients manually reporting measurements through a patient portal or by text message. The study also cites how many patient groups within the safety net population struggle with lack of broadband connectivity as well as digital literacy issues, which also highlights the need to cover phone and text communication modalities. As the authors note, without additional certainty around RPM reimbursement, providers are limited in properly assessing associated costs and savings to be able to provide RPM related services, especially within the safety net. State Medicaid RPM Reimbursement CCHP’s recent state telehealth policy tracking shows that twenty-seven states now have some form of reimbursement for RPM in their Medicaid programs. Many of the states that offer RPM reimbursement also have a multitude of restrictions associated with its use. The most common of these restrictions include only offering reimbursement to home health agencies, restricting the clinical conditions for which symptoms can be monitored, and limiting the type of monitoring device and information that can be collected. One state (Ohio) has reimbursement only for specific remote physiologic monitoring codes modeled after Medicare reimbursement. In California under newly enacted legislation AB 133, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) may authorize the use of RPM as an allowable telehealth modality under its Medicaid program. However, the language states that DHCS will establish a new undetermined fee schedule for it and likely limit covered services and providers eligible for RPM reimbursement. More details on AB 133 can be found in CCHP’s newly released fact sheet on California health budget agreement and all of its telehealth components. Medicare Remote Physiological Monitoring (and proposed RTP) Reimbursement As far as Medicare RPM reimbursement in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed 2022 PFS they are suggesting the addition of five new CPT codes for remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM): *989X1: Remote therapeutic monitoring (e.g., respiratory system status, musculoskeletal system status, therapy adherence, therapy response); initial set-up and patient education on use of equipment *989X2: Remote therapeutic monitoring (e.g., respiratory system status, musculoskeletal system status, therapy adherence, therapy response); device(s) supply with scheduled (e.g., daily) recording(s) and/or programmed alert(s) transmission to monitor respiratory system, each 30 days *989X3: Remote therapeutic monitoring (e.g., respiratory system status, musculoskeletal system status, therapy adherence, therapy response); device(s) supply with scheduled (e.g., daily) recording(s) and/or programmed alert(s) transmission to monitor musculoskeletal system, each 30 days *989X4: Remote therapeutic monitoring treatment management services, physician/ other qualified health care professional time in a calendar month requiring at least one interactive communication with the patient/caregiver during the calendar month; first 20 minutes *989X5: Remote therapeutic monitoring treatment management services, physician/other qualified health care professional time in a calendar month requiring at least one interactive communication with the patient/caregiver during the calendar month; each additional 20 minutes According to CMS, the RTM codes are similar to the seven Remote Physiological Monitoring (RPM) codes they have included over the past few years with a couple of differences which are primarily related to the particular equipment being used and data collected, and which providers can directly bill for these codes. For instance, RTM codes are proposed to monitor health conditions and allow non-physiologic data to be collected, including self-reported and digitally uploaded information, though devices for both RTM and RPM must meet the same Federal Drug Administration (FDA) definition of medical device. CMS is soliciting comments on the types and costs of devices that may be used for RTM services under the proposal. In addition, RPM services have been considered to be evaluation and management (E/M) codes which cannot be billed by certain providers, while RTM codes are considered to be general medicine codes. Additional details are still to be determined and questions remain related to billing and code construction that stakeholder comments can hopefully lead them to clarify after the comment period on the proposed PFS closes on September 13, 2021. Details on the other items in the proposed 2022 PFS can be found in CCHP’s fact sheet, explainer video, and slide deck. RPM Adoption Guidance Barriers in mind, the CHCF report suggests providers look to incorporate RPM into programs and workflows prior to considering the use of a specific technology, highlighting a number of considerations and ways providers can assess how to utilize RPM and adopt it consistent with best practices and existing policies. The guidance recommends to those considering starting an RPM program includes: Use RPM as a tool within a wider program, such as on top of an existing chronic disease management or diabetes educational program Invest in organization-wide adoption and management to ensure deployed at scale Identify key performance indicators to prioritize specific populations and results, such as no-show rates and clinical outcomes Estimate enrollment and overall costs, potential partnerships with other health centers Incorporate cultural responsiveness and solutions designed for patients with physical limitations Looking Forward As best practices continue to emerge and interest and understanding increases around use of telehealth modalities, including RPM, hopefully coverage consistency, and clarity, can increase as we move forward. Given existing variance amongst the states and the use of two different terms by the federal government for just this one type of modality – which they consider separate from telehealth – it will remain important moving forward to continue to highlight the benefits of telehealth and how they can outweigh any concerns necessitating the need for such strict and confusing policies that vary by each telehealth modality. For more details on the report’s RPM findings, please download it here - https://www.chcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/RemotePatientMonitoringSafetyNetNeedKnow.pdf. To track the ever-evolving telehealth landscape, please utilize CCHP’s policy finder - https://www.cchpca.org/new-mexico/ < Previous News Next News >

Medicare Physicians Fee Schedule 2023 draft and the Impact on Rural Health Arizona Telemedicine Program August 16, 2022 Request a copy of the full report by navigating to the original article link. For original article: https://telemedicine.arizona.edu//event/webinar/2022-08-16-medicare-physicians-fee-schedule-2023-draft-and-impact-rural-health < Previous News Next News >

Telemedicine Holds Potential to Help Climate Change Center for Connected Health Policy May 4, 2021 MobiHealth News is shining the light on a much-overlooked benefit of telemedicine: how it can help curb greenhouse gas emissions and thus help in the fight against climate change. MobiHealth News is shining the light on a much-overlooked benefit of telemedicine: how it can help curb greenhouse gas emissions and thus help in the fight against climate change. The recent article highlights that the United States healthcare industry is a big contributor to carbon emissions, and although telemedicine doesn’t solve the problem, its increased use does lead the industry in the right direction. This has been proven in two research studies conducted on this very subject. The first study, published in the journal, PLoS One explores the carbon footprint of telemedicine and found that replacing in-person visits with telemedicine resulted in 40-70 times decrease in carbon emissions. They note in their conclusion that for telemedicine to make a significant difference, a paradigm shift is necessary where telemedicine is regarded as an ordinary part of health care rather than exclusively for those who lack access due to geography. The second study, conducted by the University of California Davis Health System, examined travel-related and environmental savings as a result of use of telemedicine appointments for outpatient specialty consultations at the university. They found that telemedicine consultations resulted in significant savings of total emissions and that their telemedicine program had a positive impact on environmental pollutants. CCHP also previously published a catalogue of environmental impacts studies, which included several international studies looking at this same issue and coming to the same conclusion regarding telemedicine’s positive impact on carbon emissions in the healthcare sector. As telehealth has become more widespread due to the COVID-19 public health emergency its not hard to imagine that telehealth will cement its place as a mainstream tool in healthcare as the authors in the PLoS study suggest. However, policy barriers have historically interrupted the growth of telehealth, and it is yet to be seen whether the end of COVID-19 will bring telehealth’s progress to a halt. In a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change, researchers found that as a whole, the temporary reduction in daily global CO2 emissions during COVID-19 saw a decrease by as much as -26% on average, but note that the impact of 2020 annual emissions depends on government actions and economic incentives post-pandemic, which will shape the path forward for decades. It will be important as entities such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the congressional budget office, state governments and others conduct their analyses on cost estimates for telehealth that they factor in savings to travel costs incurred through the use of telehealth and the implications for the environment. To learn more, see the full mobihealth news article featuring this important issue. Mobile Health News: https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/telemedicine-came-rescue-during-covid-19-could-it-help-climate-change-too < Previous News Next News >

Making Telemedicine Feasible for Everyone – Especially Those With Physical Challenges Elizabeth A. Krupinski, Southwest Telehealth Resource Center August 2021 In the context of healthcare, nondiscrimination on the basis of disability means equal access to available health care services, whether those services are provided in-person or via telehealth. Telemedicine has for years been touted as providing access to healthcare for everyone, anywhere, anytime and it has been quite successful in doing so in many respects but disparities still exist among a number of patient populations. In particular, those who traditionally have challenges accessing healthcare due to physical challenges often experience similar or even greater challenges with telemedicine. Think about for a minute. Telemedicine is predominantly provided using audio and/or video-based telecommunications technologies. This fundamental fact of how telemedicine visits occur can actually exacerbate digital disparities. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an individual with a disability is defined as: 1. a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major activities; or 2. a person who has a history or record of such an impairment; or 3. a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment Under Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, no qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any services, programs, or activities of the covered entity (e.g., healthcare providers). In the context of healthcare, nondiscrimination on the basis of disability means equal access to available health care services, whether those services are provided in-person or via telehealth. Some basic facts highlight the problem. About 15% of American adults (37.5 million) over 18 report some trouble hearing, 2 to 3 per 1,000 US children are born with detectable hearing loss in one or both ears and overall 1 in 8 people (13%) 12 years or older has hearing loss in both ears. Interestingly, non-Hispanic white adults are more likely than other racial/ethnic groups to have hearing loss and non-Hispanic black adults have the lowest prevalence among adults aged 20-69. Rates increase with age. The statistics for vision impairments are equally high. About 12 million people over 40 years have a vision impairment, with 1 million who are blind and 6.8% of children younger than 18 have a diagnosed eye and vision condition. The annual economic impact of major vision problems for those over 40 is over $145 billion! For blindness, access to healthcare is especially critical as 90% of blindness caused by diabetes is preventable and early detection and treatment of conditions such as diabetic retinopathy is efficacious and cost effective. So what can we do in the telemedicine community to help ameliorate these disparities? The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers has developed a fact sheet to help providers. Some of the key recommendations are actually fairly easy to carry out. Inventory products, services, and factors required to provide effective telehealth services to patients and ensure they meet basic accessibility requirements for people with disabilities. Consider compatibility of assistive technology (e.g., alternative keyboards) and whether they can work effectively with your chosen telehealth modality. Learn about and incorporate accessibility features (e.g., close-captioning) of software programs you use. Be sure to include the patient’s caregiver, family member, or home health aide during telehealth visits. Increase your knowledge and awareness on cultural competency and linguistic sensitivity. The easiest thing to do ask patients with disabilities about their accessibility requirements! Some additional aids to consider may take a little more effort but are worth it. For those with hearing loss consider: qualified sign language interpreter, qualified cued-speech interpreter, qualified tactile interpreter, real-time captioning or communication access real-time translation (CART), video remote interpreting (VRI), use written materials, ensure the patient has access to headphones or a headset, confirm participants are wearing their hearing aids or amplification device, and use video whenever possible to allow lip reading and provide visual clues like gestures. For those with vision loss consider: a qualified reader, information in large print, Braille, or electronically for use with a computer screen-reading program, have an audio recording of printed information, be aware of your background - there needs to be contrast between you and your background and blurring the background may make it challenging for the patient, ensure lighting is bright enough for patients to clearly see your face, use simplified and enlarged text, ensure patients have a computer-screen reading program for transmission of electronic information and try providing an audio recording of printed information provided during the appointment. Additional ideas and tips can be found on the Health & Human Services (HHS) website There is also good news in terms of funding. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently announced that under the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP), also called “iCanConnect,” may provide up to $10 million annually from the interstate telecommunications relay service fund (TRS Fund) to support local programs that distribute equipment to eligible low-income individuals who are deafblind to access telecommunications service, Internet access service, and advanced communications services. This is clearly a boon for telemedicine applications. The announcement includes a state-by-state list of the initial allocations for the 56 covered jurisdictions. Hearing and vision loss are just two common challenges deal with. Other physical, mental and behavioral challenges are very common as well, and many of the tips above can be adapted to these patients as well, especially simply reaching out and asking them what their needs are and how you can help meet them as well as involving the patient’s caregiver, family member, or home health aide during telehealth visits. Basically telemedicine must be available to any patient and programs should make it a priority to develop strategies and tools to empower all patients no matter what their resources and capabilities to access safe, effective and efficient care. < Previous News Next News >

Telehealth 2.0: How Providence is taking its platform to the next level Laura Dyrda June 13, 2022 Telehealth became the prevailing mode for medical providers to see patients during the early days of the pandemic, and while use has leveled off in many areas, virtual care has become a permanent part of the healthcare ecosystem. Hospitals and health systems across the U.S. are now building telehealth, remote patient monitoring and hospital-at-home programs as part of their growth strategies. Patients also prefer telehealth as a convenient way to see their clinicians when an in-person visit isn't necessary. Most health systems have built a functioning telehealth program, but what opportunities are there to refine these programs for a better patient and clinician experience? Todd Czartoski, MD, chief medical technology officer at Renton, Wash.-based Providence, joined the Becker's "Digital Health + Health IT" podcast to talk about where the health system's virtual care program is headed. Click here to subscribe to the podcast and keep an eye out for Dr. Czartoski's episode. Note: Response below is edited lightly for clarity. Question: Where do you see telehealth becoming a better tool for clinicians and patients? How is virtual care at Providence evolving? Dr. Todd Czartoski: Over the last two years, our organization has done just over 4 million [telehealth] visits. For perspective, in 2019 we did 67,000 visits, and in one year we were doing 70,000 visits a week in April and May of 2020. That was a huge shift. Now, turning the lights on and being able to walk into the room is one thing, moving furniture around and optimizing the flow is another. A lot of our focus in the last couple years has been improving the experience for the provider, clinic staff and for the patient. We have really gotten it down to where the basic technical components of [telehealth] work pretty darn well, and we don't have a lot of issues with the connectivity piece. We've added interpreter services, and we've added in the ability to talk to more than one person at a time so you can have a family member in a different part of the country join the visit. Those types of things have been important add-ons, in addition to waiting room functionalities where you can add a survey or information tailored to the patient while they're waiting to see their provider in the virtual waiting room. Those are the things you're going to see continuing to evolve and emerge as additional capabilities. The support staff for the physician or provider's clinic also see their function and role evolving. If you think about a traditional clinic, a lot of those roles require putting patients in the room, checking their vitals, ordering labs or getting patients a follow-up appointment. Some of these things still exist, and some are going to be automated or done as part of a telehealth visit. That's where some of the opportunities are arising to continue to optimize the experience for the patients, staff and provider. You're going to see big trends overall here. Telehealth as a video visit, as a functionality, is somewhat limited. What we've learned is that whether you're a behavioral health specialist, a primary care provider or a subspecialty surgeon … all of those specialist visits can be done safely and effectively with telehealth. It's opened the door for looking at what else could we do beyond just a face-to-face visit. Specifically, the door has been opened for home monitoring. We have a remote patient monitoring solution that we built for COVID-19 home monitoring specifically, and because of the success of that, we've monitored over 30,000 patients up to two weeks who either confirmed or were under suspicion of having COVID-19. That opens the door for what we could do in terms of other types of home monitoring for COPD, diabetes, hypertension or whatever the case may be. That's a big area for growth and development. Finally, moving services outside the hospital, hospital-at-home, is a big initiative for us. We've been working on it for a long time and we're seeing some success. We're rapidly deploying that across our ecosystem and a lot of other health systems are as well. It really checks a lot of the boxes for patient experience; our patients absolutely love it. It's bending the cost curve, improving access and helping improve capacity so we don't have to build more super expensive towers and hospitals. Some of the outcomes with hospital-at-home have been shown to be better than traditional hospitalization when it comes to delirium, falls, length of stay and complications. People actually heal better on their own in a comfortable home environment. Those are a few examples of areas that we're going to see growth in our ecosystem. See original article: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/telehealth/telehealth-2-0-how-providence-is-taking-its-platform-to-the-next-level.html?origin=CIOE&utm_source=CIOE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=1372I2146745E8F < Previous News Next News >

Top of Page Video Access Highlighted Webinars Clincal Innovation Business Funding NMTHA Town Hall Experts in TH Webinars, Interviews, & Videos Video Access Featured Webinar & Video Series Highlighted Videos NMTHA provi des videos by topic: Clinical Innovation Business Funding Town Hall Meeting Expert Interviews Webinars FEATURED WEBINAR NMTHA Town Hall Event: The Future of Telehealth As our world changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so did the world of telehealth. But, what happens next? Featuring nationally recognized speaker and telehealth pioneer Dr. Weinstein, plus Russel Toal from New Mexico's OSI. View Webinar FEATURED SERIES Experts in Telehealth: An Interview Series NMTHA brings "Experts in Telehealth" a video series interviewing experts from various areas within the Telehealth arena. View Series Featured The Modern-Day House Call. Duke City’s Medic Buddy: House Call/Telemed Hybrid August 24, 2022 Mark Maydew, CFO/COO and Kelly Spring, PA-C from Duke City Cares walk us through their Medic Buddy Mobile Medical Care service. Duke City Cares is not only making house calls but connecting patients when needed to physicians via telemedicine via this mobile service. Performing a Physical via Telemedicine April 15, 2022 Dr. Tarun Girotra, Clinical Educator and Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Girotra presents various levels of physical exam documentation over telemedicine and demonstrates how to perform the best possible physical exam during a telehealth visit. CLINICAL Leveraging Telehealth for Behavioral Health in Challenging Times December 14, 2022 Molly Brack, Clinical Director at the Agora Crisis Center and Wendy Linebrink-Allison, Program Manager of the NM Crisis Line and Elizabeth Glantz, 988 Project Manager with NM Behavioral Health Services Division. Presentation on how crisis line services can assist in closing gaps and build bridges for people who experience mental, emotional, and behavioral health and substance use concerns which do not replace community services, but fill in the gaps and create connections to support people in communities. Performing a Physical via Telemedicine April 15, 2022 Dr. Tarun Girotra, Clinical Educator and Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Girotra presents on the various levels of physical exam documentation over telemedicine and demonstrates how to perform the best possible physical exam during a telehealth visit. Addressing Provider Burnout December 01, 2021 Rick Vinnay, LCSW, CEAP - The Solutions Group EAP and Wellness Programs, and Pierce Ferriegel, CEO - The Community Lighthouse. Rick Vinnay and Pierce Ferriegel each have a different vantage point and discuss what their organization experienced and how they managed burnout. Telemedicine Clinical Specialties October 27, 2021 Dr. Randy Nederhoff, Neonatology, Dr. Rina Patel-Trujillo, Endocrinology, and Dr. David Phelps, Medical Director, PHS Urgent Care Clinics. For this webinar we bring you three medical specialists and their experience using telemedicine. They cover conducting a physical exam via telemed, using telemed for endocrinology, primary care, specialty care, surgical specialties and neonatal care. Telemedicine Clinical Specialties: Behavioral Health October 20, 2021 Lora Blazina, LPCC, Clinical Supervisor at The Mountain Center, Santa Fe’, Dr. Caroline Bonham, Vice Chair of Community Behavioral Health Policy, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Dr. Marita Campos-Melady, Clinical Psychologist and Director of Specialty Behavioral Health Therapy services at Presbyterian Medical Group. In this webinar we have three speakers as we explore tele behavioral health - the challenges, the successes and the innovations when using telehealth for serious mental illnesses, complex trauma, use in BH and medical settings and for adults as well as children. Expanding Your Telemedicine Services September 29, 2021 Dr. Elizabeth Krupinski, Phd, Southwest Telehealth Resource Center, and Dr. Van Roper, University of New Mexico. Whether you have been using telemedicine for 1 year or 10, Drs. Krupinski and Roper have some ideas for making the most of your telemedicine services, which can contribute to further sustaining your practice. Telehealth and COVID: Lessons Learned February 17, 2021 Van Roper, PhD, FNP-C, Associate Clinical Professor. This presentation covers telehealth basics, primary care specific applications, and lessons learned in the implementation of telehealth in small rural clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Care Integration in the Time of Covid: Focus on Patient Experience January 13, 2021 Elizabeth Krupinski, PhD, Southwest Telehealth Resource Center. This presentation focuses on ensuring patients have a positive experience during telemedicine encounters, starting from the first encounter at scheduling through the actual visit with the provider. Topics include incorporating the entire care team in telemedicine encounters and finding relevant quality indicators to measure success. INNOVATION The Ups and Downs of Digital Innovation in Healthcare November 16, 2022 Alex Carter, certified Physician Assistant, Presbyterian Healthcare Services’ Innovation Hub. A sought after speaker on this topic, Alex's presentation includes TytoCare as a case by which to discuss a system-wide Telehealth implementation, and get real with the many challenges they have. She weaves in other projects and tools as well. Rethinking How We Connect Hospitals, Specialists and Patients September 21, 2022 Darcy Litzen, MS, BSN, RN, VP of Sales for AmplifyMD. Physician video visits became necessary during the pandemic and are now widely accepted. But what if we take them a step further and use virtual care to provide a holistic solution to the ever-present cost-of-care and network adequacy pressures on health systems and insurers, while also addressing physician burnout and the complexities of providing timely specialty care locally? All with built-in continuous improvement? The Modern-Day House Call. Duke City’s Medic Buddy: House Call/Telemed Hybrid August 24, 2022 Mark Maydew, CFO/COO and Kelly Spring, PA-C from Duke City Cares walk us through their Medic Buddy Mobile Medical Care service. Duke City Cares is not only making house calls but connecting patients when needed to physicians via telemedicine via this mobile service. Growing Peer Support in the Virtual World. How Presbyterian Healthcare Service’s Community Health Built a Virtual Peer Network March 17, 2022 Valerie V. Quintana, MA, PTP, and Donald M. Hume, CPSW with Presbyterian Health Services, Community Health. Presbyterian Healthcare Service's Community Health department stood up a virtual peer network. In this presentation, Valerie Quintana and Donald Hume describe what they built and bring us their experience - the challenges, the successes, and what they learned in creating this new network. BUSINESS OF TELEHEALTH Telehealth Needs & Opportunities: Emerging Findings from BH Providers December 08, 2021 Margy Wienbar, MS, and Renee G. Sussman, RN, MA, MSN. This presentation briefly reviews the findings of the report “Telehealth Needs & Opportunities: F indings from Nonprofit Behavioral Health Providers in Northern New Mexico” that was published by the New Mexico Telehealth Alliance and Anchorum St. Vincent in July of 2021. Participants will hear from three of the organizations that were interviewed and contributed to the report’s findings. Telemedicine Billing & Coding: What You Need to Know September 08, 2021 Steve DeSaulniers from Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico, Jennifer Sandoval from Molina Healthcare, Julie Wohrlin from Western Sky Community Care, Dr. Denise Gonzales from Presbyterian Healthcare, Lorelei Kellogg, NM HSD, and Moderator: Stetson Berg, UNM Center for Telehealth This full panel of speakers present and answer questions from attendees. Delta Variant is on the Rise: Is Your Telemedicine Practice HIPAA Compliant? September 01, 2021 Michael Herrick, Founder & CEO Matterform. With the rise of the Delta Variant, you may be thinking that we will be relying on telehealth more this fall. Are you compliant? Do you have concerns about your platform? Have you been relying on tools that won't be compliant once the Public Emergency Health order ends? Collective Learning of the Telehealth Learning Community March 31, 2021 Kate Gibbons, LCSW, LISW, Ph.D., of Janus LLC. A summation and update on the learning and data collected during the first cohort of the Telehealth Learning Community (TLC) for behavioral health providers. Show Me the Data: How COVID-19 Impacted Telehealth Claims & What Happens Next March 17, 2021 Stefany Goradia, MSIE-VP Health Analytics, RS21 Health Lab. COVID-19 caused a spike in telehealth as new payment models were approved and the healthcare industry pivoted rapidly to continue providing care via telehealth at the March onset. Since that time, organizations have witnessed declines in overall telehealth utilization, with some services slowly dwindling and others converting entirely back to in-person visits. In this case study, we will review an anonymized payer’s telehealth claim trends, services and conditions that were identified to be the most widely-adopted for telehealth between March and December 2020, and considerations for an ongoing telehealth strategy going into 2021. New Mexico’s Telehealth Stature Simplified: What You Need To Know March 10, 2021 Beth Landon, MBA, MHA-NMTHA Chair, and Stetson Berg, MHA-NMTHA Vice Chair. New Mexico enjoys one of the nation’s most progressive telehealth laws. Full payment parity and zero geographic restrictions comprise just part of the law; we also suffer zero limitations on eligible providers and no lifetime limits. This presentation and ensuing discussion intends to demystify the law, answer your questions, and gain your ideas on how to further improve the statute in subsequent legislative sessions. Developing Telehealth Workflow for Best Possible Patient and Provider Experience February 10, 2021 Jen Gruger, PMI-PBA. Delivering a successful telehealth visit is as much about the step-by-step workflow and how each individual involved executes their portion, as it is about the technology used and the clinical outcome we desire. This session will cover three essential components of building (or repairing) an effective and efficient workflow for this type of visit regardless of the telehealth platform being used. Using Remote Monitoring Technology to Improve Patient Outcomes & Retain Staff January 20, 2021 Arlene Maxim, RN. This presentation focuses on technology to augment home health care, an extremely valuable tool when clinicians use it effectively. Agency owners and managers are beginning to see the critical role that telehealth and remote care monitoring can play in keeping patients at home and improving patient satisfaction. Telehealth and remote care monitoring can also improve clinician satisfaction. During this session we discuss what to look for in a telehealth/remote care monitoring provider and how to market technology’s ability to improve patient outcomes and staff satisfaction. FUNDING FCC Rural Health Care Program Funding Opportunities March 24, 2021 Steve Constantine, SVP/CIO, Prairie Health Ventures & COO, and Marci L. White, FCC Rural Health Care Program Funding Specialist. The FCC Rural Health Care Programs provide funding opportunities for eligible healthcare providers across the U.S. to develop and grow their telemedicine programs. The two programs fund telecommunications and broadband services necessary for the provision of health care. In addition, the Healthcare Connect Fund allows opportunities for some urban participation as well as funding for data centers, administrative offices and certain network equipment. NMTHA TOWN HALL Town Hall: The Future of Telehealth September 22, 2021 Dr. Ronald S. Weinstein, na tional telemedicine pioneer, and Russell Toal, New Mexico Superintendent of Ins urance and local community. This special 90-minute town hall explores the possibilities of where we go from here. The town hall features speakers from local and state leadership, healthcare and YOU. INTERVIEWS: TELEH EA LTH EXPERTS Elizabeth Krupinksi , PhD, Southwest Telehealth Resource Center Jen Gruger , PMI-PBA, EHR Sup port Dept., Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center Geof Empey , Progra m Operations Director, University of New Mexico Center for Telehealth Kelly Schlegel , Director of the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion Clincal Innovation Business Funding NMTHA Town Hall Highlighted Videos Experts in TH Highlighted NMTHA Webinar Series 10-week Educational Series From our 2021 10-week educational series, webinars focused on data, broadband in New Mexico, client engagement, and more! These webinars were hosted by the New Mexico Telehealth Alliance and made possible through funding by Health Resources and Services Administration Office for the Advancement of Telehealth and the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center. View Webinar Fall 2021 Webinar Series Topics include the future of telehealth, billing, using telehealth for clinical specialties, and more. View Webinar Webinars

Effects on Patient Access to Telehealth as Some State Emergencies End Center for Connected Health Policy July 2021 With state of emergency declarations expiring or being lifted in states, there is growing concern patients are being left with reduced access if no permanent telehealth policy changes have been enacted. With state of emergency declarations expiring or being lifted in states, there is growing concern patients are being left with reduced access if no permanent telehealth policy changes have been enacted. According to the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), nearly 20 states no longer are under emergency orders, with many soon to follow. Many states attached telehealth flexibilities to the federal public health emergency (PHE) while others made them contingent on state emergency declarations. Some states have successfully passed legislation to extend certain telehealth flexibilities in advance of state of emergency expirations, such as Connecticut and Delaware. The federal government Emergency Preparedness and Response for Home and Community Based (HCBS) 1915(c) Waivers were often originally tied to state emergencies, but appear to now extend 6 months after the federal PHE ends. Alaska is one of the states no longer under a state of emergency. During the pandemic a local outlet reported thousands of patients were being referred to out-of-state providers, especially in Washington, via telehealth for a variety of reasons including lack of specialty care and long wait times. Once the emergency licensing waivers expired, however, Seattle hospitals were sent rushing to reschedule Alaska patients and resume the more stringent process of becoming licensed in Alaska. According to recent local reports, Florida’s emergency expiration also took away audio-only and the ability to use telehealth to prescribe controlled substances and recertify medical cannabis patients. The Florida Medical Association told the local news outlet they will continue the push to make telehealth changes permanent in the next state legislative session, especially those requiring insurer reimbursement and payment parity, without which they say telehealth will simply no longer be made available to patients. For more information on the status of the emergency orders in each state visit the NASHP website - https://www.nashp.org/governors-prioritize-health-for-all/. < Previous News Next News >