Telehealth Grantee Directory

Network Partners:

Members of then Association for Utah Community Health (AUCH) include 11 community, migrant, and homeless center organizations (FQHCs) operating 24 comprehensive, primary health care delivery sites throughout the state of Utah. Additional members included Planned Parenthood of Utah, a Title X funded reproductive health organization and the Indian Walk-In Center, a Title V funded urban Indian health organization. Six organizations operate in urban environment and seven operate in rural/frontier areas. Additional network partners include the Utah Telehealth Network, Northwest Regional Telehealth Network, Retina Associates of Utah, Wire One Technology, Inc., and Utah Imaging, LLC.

Project Purpose:

The AUCH Telehealth Program will improve delivery of and access to specialty care by supplying telehealth equipment and resources to all association members. A videoconferencing network will be implemented to increase participation in distance learning activities including training and technical assistance. Additionally, the telehealth program will support an expansion of on-line resources and digital tools to enhance training/technical assistance and peer-to-peer interaction to strengthen existing health center operations. These enhanced technologies will improve the delivery and access to quality specialty care, reduce geographical barriers to rural patients and health care providers, enhance distance learning opportunities and improve peer to peer interaction.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

The AUCH telehealth program will be evaluated using the following criteria: (a) completion of tasks, (b) tracking and measurement of equipment utilization, (c) clients-served statistics, (d) identification of resources for expansion of the telehealth program, and (e) client satisfaction and follow up statistics.

Service Area:

The service area for the AUCH Telehealth Program will correspond to the service areas for each of its member sites. Those sites' service areas include the counties of Box Elder, Cache, Rich, Weber, Salt Lake, Utah, Carbon, Emery, Iron, Washington, San Juan, and Wayne.

Services Provided:

Services to be provided include the implementation of telehealth projects including: diabetes care and management, ophthalmology, radiology, videoconferencing, and website enhancement.

Equipment:

Current and planned AUCH telehealth projects use: Kowa fundus retinal camera and software, Polycom videoconferencing equipment, and AMRAD CR teleradiology equipment and software.

Transmission:

The AUCH Telehealth Program will utilize current health center connectivity (T1, DSL) whenever possible. AUCH will assist health centers in expanding their bandwidth, if needed, and will assist in modifying current firewall, router, and other equipment to accommodate necessary IP traffic.

Network Partners:

Northern Utah Area Health Education Center, Ogden, Utah; School Districts in Northern Utah, Weber, Ogden, Cache, Rich, Box Elder, Logan, Davis; Utah Education Network, Fire Departments/First Responder Agencies statewide and in Wyoming; International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, since August of 2002. Patients served is not applicable.

Project Purpose:

The HOPE project will address the critical shortage of health professionals in Utah and contiguous states. WSU will increase rural outreach education, allowing students to practice as health professionals in their communities. The project will also address Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), availability of these services, needs, and solutions.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

Recruitment contacts have been made with 7010 potential students. Twenty two additional rural Paramedic students have been able to graduate because of this program. Data have been collected to determine the need for a Critical Incident Stress Training Institute. Distance technology including podcasts, IP Video, and on-line testing support have been developed and are in use.

Service Area:

All of Utah's 29 counties are designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) in at least one or more of the following: Dental, Primary Care, and/or Mental Health. The HOPE Grant is based in Weber County, but will serve all 29 counties in the state as well as some cities/counties in Southern Wyoming.

Services Provided:

The HOPE Project provides: 1) Recruitment in Utah and Southern Wyoming for health care programs; 2) Course/Program delivery via IP Video technology (Paramedic, EMT, and Clinical Lab Science); 3) Development of a Simulation Lab for students; and 4) Establishment and support of on-line and distance courses, including computer and testing support.

Equipment:

Remote sites have nine PolyCom VSX 7000S video conferencing systems; Broadcast Sites have two Tandberg MX 3000 video conferencing systems.

Transmission:

Ethernet to dedicated fiber channel with tie into layer 2 switch to Utah's backbone. Chi Tester runs Cold Fusion MX and an SQL database using 3 Windows servers, 2003 Enterprise Edition.

Network Partners:

Not Applicable.

Project Purpose:

Implement pilot technology to provide appropriate communication to deaf and hearing impaired patients for meaningful access to Intermountain's services that are compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations. Evaluate the technology with the Project Team's key personnel for resolution and ASL-level interpretations.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

Decrease the length of time patients must wait for an interpreter by at least 50 percent and decrease the overall costs of providing interpretation services by 20 percent. Further, this will provide a setting that the patient perceives as less intrusive since a third person (the interpreter) will not be in the room.

Service Area:

The project service area includes all of Utah and Cassia, Idaho.

Services Provided:

On-demand video interpretation for deaf patients. This service will be available 24 hours a day. It will help decrease wait times for patients who need interpreting services and will provide patients with more options to address their communication needs.

Equipment:

The Polycom Practitioner Cart utilizes the Polycom VSX 7000 as the core for real time interactive voice and video communications. It includes a 19" LCD.

Transmission:

Intermountain has DS3 connections from the main hospitals to the central hub that has a DS3 connection to the Internet.

Network Partners:

Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, Utah Diabetes Center, Intermountain Spinal Cord Injury Program, Bear Lake Community Health Center, UTN sites including Utah Navajo Health System, Montezuma Creek and Monument Valley; San Juan Hospital, Monticello; Gunnison Valley Hospital; Beaver Valley Hospital; South Davis Community Hospital.

Project Purpose:

• Upgrade network infrastructure to support expanding telehealth activity.
• Implement telehealth services for diabetes management, diabetic retinopathy, spinal cord injury patients.
• Expand continuing education modalities and offerings.
• Implement a process to provide access by rural hospitals to centralized patient-related IT resources.

Outcomes Expected/Project Accomplishments:

• Improved network management & staff efficiency-automated reporting via integrated database.
• Patient/Provider and Education Participant Satisfaction-Likert surveys.
• Quantify Patient Usage of Services Provided-OAT GPRA Performance Measures.
• Quantify Education Participation-OAT GRPA Performance Measures.

Service Area:

Current project serves five counties (Rich, San Juan, Sanpete, Beaver, Davis) which include 4 full county HPSAs, 1 partial county HPSA, 3 full county MUAs, and 1 partial county MUP. Network serves 18 Utah counties, all of which are full or partial HPSAs.

Services Provided:

Dermatology; psychiatry (medication management); developmental disabilities; cardiology; infectious disease; orthopedics; pediatric orthopedics; acute stroke intervention; burn; pharmacy; radiology; continuing education & training; nursing oncology doctoral program; bioterrorism preparedness; diabetes services (2006); spinal cord injury patient management (2006).

Equipment:

Accord MGC100 bridge, Polycom videoconferencing systems (Viewstation, VS 4000, VSX7000 VSX3000, Via Video and PVX); Madge multiplexer; Cisco routers; HP Procurve switches; Netscreen firewalls; Pyxis pharmacy dispensing system.

Transmission:

Dedicated T1 & T1 frame relay; DS3s, ISDN PRI; DSL.