The Governors Telemedicine Steering Committee Presented to the Wyoming Telecommunications Council Ch

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TheGovernors Telemedicine Steering Committee
Presented to theWyoming Telecommunications
CouncilCheyenne, WyomingNovember 2,
2001byDouglas ThiedeOffice of Rural Health
Wyoming Department of Health
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Telemedicine

• The Governors Telemedicine Steering Committee
  was formed in July,1997 and expanded in
  November,1999 to 30 individuals from across the
  state.
• I have included a copy of the current members and
  subcommittee assignments in your handout.

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Telemedicine

• The charge of the committee was to address the
  existing barriers to the expansion of
  telemedicine in Wyoming. The barriers included
  but were not limited to
• Telecommunication Infrastructure
• Reimbursement
• Licensing, Liability and Malpractice
• Privacy and Security
• Legislative Issues

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Telemedicine

• The Co-Chairs of the committee are
• Dr. Geoffery Smith, M.D., a Radiologist from
  Casper
• Jerry Bronnenberg, Deputy Director, Wyoming
  Department of Health
• A planning retreat in the fall of 1999 resulted
  in a Telehealth Strategic Plan that addressed a
  number of the barriers.
• A copy of the Telehealth Strategic Plan is
  included in your handout.

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Telemedicine

• Mission Statement
• Improve the health care for Wyoming citizens by
  facilitating the development, use and access of
  Telehealth networks and systems in our state.

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Telemedicine

• Vision Statement
• Wyoming citizens will have a Telehealth system
  that will provide access to the best medical care
  available anywhere, to each person in even the
  remotest part of the state.
• Every citizen will have electronic access to
  reliable, up-to-date resources for specialized
  care, consultation and continuing education.
• Training, infrastructure, and resources will be
  in place to make telehealth available as a source
  of health care information in Wyoming.
• System will be reliable, scalable, ubiquitous,
  and standards-based.

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TelemedicineInfrastructure

• Develop and Implement Pilot Projects to
  demonstrate that telehealth is possible in the
  state.
• The Wyoming State Hospital to Wyoming State
  Penitentiary mental health project will be up and
  running on November 15, 2001. This places
  compressed video equipment in both locations for
  the delivery of mental health services to inmates
  at the prison by mental health professionals at
  the State Hospital.

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TelemedicineInfrastructure

• Develop a Telehealth Office.
• Mary Francis Cadez has been hired to manage the
  Telehealth Office in the Department of Health.
  Ms. Cadez will start on December 1, 2001. This
  position will allow for a more focused approach
  to developing and promoting the utilization of
  telemedicine in Wyoming.

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TelemedicineLicensure

• The Physician Licensure issues that were once
  thought to be a barrier to telehealth has not
  developed.
• Currently 46 states, including Wyoming have
  continued to require full licensure of a
  Physician delivering significant professional
  services by telemedicine, from outside of the
  state.

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TelemedicineReimbursement

• The lack of reimbursement for telemedicine
  services by insurance companies has limited the
  expansion of Telemedicine.
• Medicare has increased the number of primary care
  and mental health services that are eligible to
  receive payments for services provided by
  telemedicine.
• Wyoming Medicaid is looking at the payment for
  services provided by telemedicine in the near
  future.

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TelemedicineLegislative

• A bill was passed in the last legislative session
  which allowed health care providers in Wyoming to
  utilize the existing State Data Network for
  telemedicine if they paid for the
  telecommunication services and were approved by
  the Department of Health to utilize the system.

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Telemedicine

• The future development of telemedicine in Wyoming
  will depend on success in the following areas
• The successful development of a funding stream
  from Federal, State, or Foundation sources.
• The development of Collaborative Partnerships
  between the Department of Health, University of
  Wyoming, Healthcare Associations, and Healthcare
  providers from across Wyoming, in the planning,
  funding, and management of Telemedicine Projects.

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Telemedicine

• The Governors Telemedicine Steering Committee
  and the Telehealth Office is supported by funding
  from the Wyoming Department of Health, Office of
  Rural Health. The Following reports are
  available from the Office of Rural Health.
• Committee Members
• Sub-Committee Members
• Telehealth Strategic Plan

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Telemedicine

• Douglas Thiede, ManagerWyoming Office of Rural
  Health 2020 Carey Avenue, 8th FloorCheyenne, WY
  82002307-777-6918307-777-7127
  FAXdthied_at_wdhpop.state.wy.us