News
Welcome to Northern Neck Middle Peninsula Telehealth Consortium
MPNN Community Services Board’s project with the Free Clinic
The Virginia Health Care Foundation through A New Lease on Life Initiative Grant awarded the Middle Peninsula Northern Neck
CSB and the Northern Neck Free Health Clinic a grant to provide basic mental health at the free health clinic and to provide medical care to
consumers at the CSB needing a medical home. At 6 months, they are ahead of projected goals. Bob Ritchie is our mental health counselor who is on site at the NNFHC 2 days a week for basic mental health treatment, such as depression and anxiety.
Virginia Telehealth Network
Congratulations to VTN (Virginia Telehealth Network) for receiving their 501 (C)(3) non profit public charity! Visit the website at http://ehealthvirginia.org/ or just google “Virginia Telehealth Network.”
Central Virginia Health Services
NNMPTC commends one of its founding members, Central Virginia Health Services, on 40 years of service in rural health care. CVHS’ first community health center opened in November 1970 to provide care for residents of Fluvanna, Buckingham, and Cumberland counties. CVHS has since grown to fourteen sites serving fifteen counties and three cities. The Center held a health care festival to celebrate on August 7, 2010.
Nationwide rural health providers such as CVHS continue to face challenges in attracting and retaining health care workers – a problem being addressed in health reform policy. A recent article in the Washington Post highlights these difficulties. The physician featured works in one of CVHS’ 14 health care sites. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/08/AR2010080802832.html
Telehealth technology has been proven to strengthen rural health practices, clinics, and hospitals by providing cost-effective and timely communication with specialists in metropolitan areas and academic medical centers. NNMPTC’s purpose is to advance the use of telehealth in eastern Virginia, so that rural health care providers and their patients can maintain these relationships with their peers in order to improve access and care quality.
USAC Rural Health Care Division: FCC Proposes Expansion of Rural Health Care Program
On July 15, the FCC approved a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the Rural Health Care Program that would establish a permanent telehealth infrastructure fund, cover more of the recurring cost for broadband connectivity, and expand the types of services and health care providers that are eligible to receive funding. These reforms are consistent with the recommendations set forth in the National Broadband Plan.
Proposals in the NPRM include:
- Support up to 85% of new broadband infrastructure costs
- Reimburse 50% of recurring monthly broadband costs (currently 25% for Internet Access only)
- Fund eligible skilled nursing facilities, dialysis centers, and off-site administrative offices and data centers
Program stakeholders are encouraged to review the NPRM and submit their comments to the FCC. Comments are due within 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
View the entire NPRM: WC Docket No. 02-60 FCC 10-125
For more information, visit: www.fcc.gov.
To Learn more about the Rural Health Care Program visit: www.usac.org/rhc
Family Maternity Center of the Northern Neck
The FMCNN delivered their first baby on June 27th, 2010. Baby Brayden Wayne was caught by Amber Price CNM and Jessica Starkey RN assisted through out the labor and birth. Mom and baby are doing great.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the official website for the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. This website provides the most up-to-date, detailed information about the EHR incentive programs.
The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals and hospitals as they adopt, implement, upgrade, or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.
Consortium Member News
The Family Maternity Center of the Northern Neck (FMCNN) held a grand opening for its new 9,765-square-foot, two-story building on Saturday, May 29, 2010 in Lancaster County, VA. The new center will improve access to
Medical Staff: (L to R) Susan Lanni, M.D. (VCU); Amber Price, CNM; Shirley Dodson-McAdoo, ANP, President; Jessica Jordan, CNM; Barbara Kahler, M.D., Pediatrician; and Jim Hamilton, M.D., Medical Director.
prenatal care for women in rural eastern Virginia, by providing prenatal care and low-risk delivery services at this rural health clinic/birthing center, using nurses and midwives who collaborate with physicians.
Also, patients diagnosed as high risk will receive high quality care at the
Center during the term of their pregnancies, through a Telemedicine program with VCU Health Systems. Distant clinical consultation services will be provided weekly by VCUHS’ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and are intended to address the urgent healthdisparity relative to infant mortality and poor pregnancy outcomes in rural Virginia. The program eventually will include education outreach for health care providers and members of the community, and is supported by the Consortium’s and the VCU Telemedicine Center.
Jessica Jordan, clinical director, says that the first delivery of one of their patients may occur at the Birthing Center as soon as mid-June.
Click below to read an article about the center and view more photos (Credit: Fredericksburg Free Lance Star)
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2010/052010/05302010/551780/index_html?page=1
New State Law Requires Health Insurers to Cover Telemedicine Benefitting Patients and Their Physicians.
On Monday, April 5, 2010 at 2:00 PM, Governor Bob McDonnell signed SB675, a bill which requires health providers to cover costs of telemedicine services (using interactive audio and video to diagnose, consult and treat patients.) reinforce the law’s importance, this signing ceremony was broadcast from VCU Health System utilizing telemedicine video-conferencing technology to various telehealth locations in the state including five locations in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.
Click link below to view the signing of the bill.
http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=12258817