Virginia Telehealth Network

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  • Community Connections Hold Key to Expanding Telehealth Access, Report Says

    Community Connections Hold Key to Expanding Telehealth Access, Report Says

    Over the last several years, patients and providers alike have recognized the efficiency of telehealth, and today it holds particular promise for the one in nine Virginians with a disability. However, the adoption of telehealth across the Commonwealth often faces hurdles due to the limited availability of broadband access. Four …

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  • Laying the Groundwork for Virtual Substance Use Disorder Treatment Models in Correctional Facilities

    Laying the Groundwork for Virtual Substance Use Disorder Treatment Models in Correctional Facilities

    Across the country, Substance Use Disorder (SUD) continues to be one of the most prevalent challenges faced by many: in 2023, 15.35% of Americans were reported to be battling substance use disorder according to data from Mental Health America. Of those, 93.5% did not receive any form of treatment. Stigma, …

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  • Considerations for Patient Safety in Telehealth Delivery

    Considerations for Patient Safety in Telehealth Delivery

    The swift growth of telehealth rapidly transformed health care delivery. Flexibilities during the Public Health Emergency enabled providers to adopt new ways in how telehealth technologies can be used, ranging from text messaging portals and eConsultations to video sessions with patients or other providers.  As providers and patients alike quickly …

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  • Cultivating Inclusive Telehealth Experiences for Patients with Different Backgrounds

    Cultivating Inclusive Telehealth Experiences for Patients with Different Backgrounds

    As telehealth has revolutionized the way health care services are delivered, providing convenient and accessible options for patients, the importance of considering cultural nuance in care delivery is just as important in virtual care as it is in-person. According to national survey trends in telehealth from the HHS’ Office of …

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  • EMS and Telehealth: UVA Health Enhances Workforce Development, Immediate Care for Stroke Patients

    EMS and Telehealth: UVA Health Enhances Workforce Development, Immediate Care for Stroke Patients

    According to the Virginia Department of Health, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in Virginia. Most stroke patients do not arrive to the hospital in time, leading to increased death and permanent disability. UVA Health’s SCOPES (Strengthening Community Paramedicine and Emergency Services) program aims to bridge the gap …

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  • Strengthening Virginia’s Mental Health Workforce with Telehealth

    Strengthening Virginia’s Mental Health Workforce with Telehealth

    The breadth and depth of Virginia’s mental health crisis is harrowing. According to Mental Health America, Virginia is in the bottom-third of states when it comes to access to mental health services. Additionally, the latest data from the Health Resources & Services Administration states that every locality throughout the state …

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  • Telehealth Triumphs: A Recap of Wins in 2023

    Telehealth Triumphs: A Recap of Wins in 2023

    The year 2023 has proven to be pivotal for telehealth, as legislators in Virginia and across the country took significant steps to ensure continued flexibility and encourage the use of telehealth services. We’re grateful to work alongside many leaders at the forefront of this movement towards a shared goal of …

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  • Optimizing Care for Patients with Limited English Proficiency

    Optimizing Care for Patients with Limited English Proficiency

    Telehealth can help in connecting patients of all different backgrounds to essential services, but one critical barrier that exists is accessing care for patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Identifying solutions can be challenging but two free and charitable clinics in Richmond have identified ways to get care to these …

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  • DEA Grants Second Temporary Extension of Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescribing Controlled Substances

    DEA Grants Second Temporary Extension of Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescribing Controlled Substances

    The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently announced another extension of the temporary telehealth rules for prescribing controlled substances. The first extension was announced earlier this year, just ahead of the end of the Public Health Emergency. In this blog post, we’ll explore the key points of this extension and the …

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  • Benefits of Telehealth and Needed Areas of Improvement, According to Virginia’s Licensed Providers

    Benefits of Telehealth and Needed Areas of Improvement, According to Virginia’s Licensed Providers

    Each year, the Virginia Telehealth Network (VTN) conducts an annual survey to better understand how Virginia’s licensed providers are using telehealth and identify areas they feel can improve. More than 10,000 health care professionals took part in both the inaugural survey in 2021 and the latest survey, which was released in …

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  • The Role of Telehealth in Virginia’s Rural Health Plan

    The Role of Telehealth in Virginia’s Rural Health Plan

    Q&A: w/ Heather Anderson, Virginia Department of Health When the Virginia State Office of Rural Health began taking steps toward updating the Commonwealth’s Rural Health Plan, it took a step back to ask a foundational question: What is a healthy community? The answer to that query has helped to shape …

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  • Breaking the Stigma: Supporting Access to Mental Health Care for Southwest Virginians

    Breaking the Stigma: Supporting Access to Mental Health Care for Southwest Virginians

    Nicole (Nikki) Kemp, NP-C of Bernard Healthcare Center in Rocky Mount, Va. is providing hope for her patients by talking openly about how important mental health care is to meeting the overall health needs of her patients. Earlier this year, Bernard Healthcare Center began offering free teletherapy to eligible patients …

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  • Sen. Favola Shares Current and Future State of Telehealth in Virginia

    Sen. Favola Shares Current and Future State of Telehealth in Virginia

    During a recent VTN webinar Senator Barbara Favola shared insight on the current state of telehealth legislation in Virginia and where the legislature could take us in the future. She is a champion of human rights and an advocate for increasing access to quality care in Virginia via telehealth. “The …

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  • Expanded Broadband Access Will be Game-Changer for Telehealth in Rural Virginia

    Expanded Broadband Access Will be Game-Changer for Telehealth in Rural Virginia

    President Biden announced a massive new federal law that promises to give millions of Americans – finally – access to broadband. It’s an initiative with wide-ranging implications. Just as the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 connected rural America to the electrical power grid, bringing electricity into their homes for the …

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  • UVA Health Helping Ensure Quality Telehealth Care for Older Adults

    UVA Health Helping Ensure Quality Telehealth Care for Older Adults

    Telehealth among older adults increased from 13,000 weekly telehealth visits pre-pandemic to a near 1.7 million weekly visits during April 2020, the majority of which were by Medicare beneficiaries. Earlier this year, the University of Virginia Health System along with the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center at UVA Health, as well …

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  • Up to The Minute: PHE and Telehealth News – June 2023

    Up to The Minute: PHE and Telehealth News – June 2023

    As the dust settles from the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE), vast changes in health policy continue to follow. This month’s round-up focuses on the effect the end of the PHE has had on health insurance, the role of telehealth in curbing mental health struggles, the cost of …

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  • Virginia Telehealth Survey Finds Growth in Provider Confidence

    Virginia Telehealth Survey Finds Growth in Provider Confidence

    More than 10,000 health care professionals took part in VTN’s second annual survey to benchmark telehealth usage throughout Virginia. RICHMOND, Va., June 13, 2023 – A recent survey of Virginia health care professionals finds that eight in 10 (80%) providers using telehealth saw improvements in their patients’ continuity of care, …

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  • Enhancing Telehealth for Patients who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

    Enhancing Telehealth for Patients who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

    Felecia Smith’s primary job is to help ensure that individuals who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing can get access to information. Her main objective for becoming a Virginia Telehealth Network member is to educate health care providers of their obligations to Deaf and Hard of Hearing patients and the …

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  • Up to The Minute: PHE Updates and Telehealth News

    Up to The Minute: PHE Updates and Telehealth News

    This round-up is dedicated to the latest news about telehealth use, the expiration of the Public Health Emergency (PHE), and the importance of maintaining access to telehealth moving forward. Below you will find new reports on how increased telehealth access is cutting health care costs in rural areas, information about …

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  • Mental Health Awareness Month: Increasing Mental Health Resources

    Mental Health Awareness Month: Increasing Mental Health Resources

    As we approach the end of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, it’s important to reflect on the breadth and depth of mental health issues across the country. Virtually every adult agrees the country is facing a mental health crisis, as nearly a third of U.S. adults report feelings of …

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  • Tele-Prescribing Flexibilities Extended Just Ahead of PHE Expiration

    Tele-Prescribing Flexibilities Extended Just Ahead of PHE Expiration

    Two days before a proposed rule change by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulating the prescribing of controlled substances via telemedicine was set to take effect, the agency issued a temporary rule to extend COVID-era telehealth prescribing flexibilities for another six months, through November 11, 2023.   Apparently, the DEA was …

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  • In the News: Permanent and Proposed Rules Regarding End of PHE

    In the News: Permanent and Proposed Rules Regarding End of PHE

    Continued access to telehealth services will remain a priority for health care providers across the country when the Public Health Emergency (PHE) ends on May 11. This news roundup highlights extended legislative flexibilities regarding telehealth in Virginia, how telehealth has helped reduce fatal overdose risk, a new bill seeking to …

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  • Enhancing Virginia’s State Telehealth Plan

    Enhancing Virginia’s State Telehealth Plan

    The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) released Virginia’s first State Telehealth Plan in 2021 to promote an integrated approach to the introduction and use of telehealth services in the Commonwealth. By law, the Plan includes provisions for the use of remote patient monitoring services and store-and-forward technologies as well as …

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  • How the End of Emergency Provisions Will Impact Telehealth

    How the End of Emergency Provisions Will Impact Telehealth

    During the height of the pandemic, telehealth quickly became the vehicle of choice for the medical community, and the declaration of a national health emergency gave federal agencies, including Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance, increased flexibility in addressing people’s health needs. The Public Health Emergency (PHE) will soon expire, …

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  • In the News: Recent Studies Show Telehealth’s Role in Meeting Emerging Health Care Needs

    In the News: Recent Studies Show Telehealth’s Role in Meeting Emerging Health Care Needs

    This news roundup highlights various new studies about behavioral health needs and the industry’s effort to meet new demands, a new statistic showing the use of telehealth services by individuals who travel, a spike in telehealth care use for marginalized groups in the United States, and the concern for telehealth …

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  • VTN-Led Initiative Now Offering Free Telemental Health Services Statewide

    VTN-Led Initiative Now Offering Free Telemental Health Services Statewide

    There is a great need for behavioral and mental health services in Virginia. A Mental Health America report ranked Virginia 39th nationwide when it comes to the availability of mental health services for adults, with 125 out of 133 cities and counties in the state designated as Mental Health Professional …

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  • In the News: How will the end of the PHE impact telehealth policies?

    In the News: How will the end of the PHE impact telehealth policies?

    Telehealth continues to modify and adapt with changes at the state and federal level. This news roundup highlights Virginia legislators’ push to extend telehealth services, what’s next for telehealth at the federal level when the public health emergency ends, and various telehealth initiatives sprouting throughout Virginia to address gaps in …

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  • How Virginia Health Catalyst is Expanding Teledentistry in Virginia’s Public Schools

    How Virginia Health Catalyst is Expanding Teledentistry in Virginia’s Public Schools

    Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. Untreated cavities can lead to pain, infection, missed school time, and even trouble eating, talking, or socializing. Despite the importance of oral health, not all children have equal access to dental care. But now, new advances in virtual …

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  • In the News: New telemental health program seeing patients in Virginia

    In the News: New telemental health program seeing patients in Virginia

    It’s been a busy news cycle in December with updates and announcements related to telehealth in Virginia and beyond, including legislative news that could impact accessibility to care, brand new virtual mental health services as part of a statewide initiative, and Governor Glenn Youngkin’s multi-million-dollar behavioral health plan. Read more …

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  • Federal Audit Shows Telehealth Providers Complying with Medicare Billing Practices

    Federal Audit Shows Telehealth Providers Complying with Medicare Billing Practices

    The spike in Medicare claims for telemedicine appointments drew the attention of federal watchdog agencies. Regulators wanted to be sure that billing practices in the telehealth realm were following prescribed guidelines, especially given the fact that so many providers were still relatively new to telemedicine protocols. The Centers for Medicare …

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  • In the News: Advancements in Telehealth

    In the News: Advancements in Telehealth

    While telehealth may have been perceived as a temporary fix during the height of the pandemic, we’re seeing a push for it to become a standard for receiving care as well as new technologies to support these exciting next steps. This month’s news roundup includes telehealth for managing hypertension and …

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  • Tips for Improving Telehealth for Your Patients

    Tips for Improving Telehealth for Your Patients

    Within medical circles, the pivot from in-the-office appointments to virtual ones via telehealth has proven for some to be tricky – both from a logistics standpoint and the ways in which health care providers interact with their patients. Here’s a rundown of what many providers have learned as they see …

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  • In the News: Bringing Telehealth to Students

    In the News: Bringing Telehealth to Students

    Each month, VTN highlights five articles sharing updates, announcements and the latest on telehealth in Virginia and beyond. This edition includes pending legislative updates that will impact Medicare, the growing industry of teledentistry, and telehealth programs that are bringing care to students at school. Increasing Telemental Health Access to Students …

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  • Supporting Roanoke’s exploding demand while growing recourses

    Supporting Roanoke’s exploding demand while growing recourses

    Telehealth served not only as a solution for Bradley Free Clinic, and many other clinics and providers, to be able to see existing mental health patients during the onset of the pandemic, but it allowed Bradley to support its community when the demand for mental health skyrocketed. In just over two years, …

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  • In the News: Investing in Telehealth Solutions

    In the News: Investing in Telehealth Solutions

    Each month, VTN highlights five articles sharing updates, announcements and the latest on telehealth in Virginia and beyond. This edition includes collaborative efforts in Southwest Virginia to increase access to telehealth, how virtual care may benefit the economy and legislative updates that will impact Medicare coverage.  Southwest Virginia Library Creates …

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  • Dental Care During Class: Community Health Center of the New River Valley Brings Teledentistry to Public School Systems

    Dental Care During Class: Community Health Center of the New River Valley Brings Teledentistry to Public School Systems

    In the New River Valley region, one out of six people don’t have access to regular transportation. Additionally, the area isn’t abundant with medical or dental providers, and many practices don’t accept Medicaid, specifically in the dental field. To help address these issues, the Community Health Center of the New …

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  • For Mental Health Therapy, “Meeting Kids Where They Are” Might Best be Online

    For Mental Health Therapy, “Meeting Kids Where They Are” Might Best be Online

    For most mental health providers, the COVID-era transition from in-person sessions to virtual ones was a challenge, even for those with clients who had ready access to broadband internet. Communicating through a computer or cell phone does not come second nature to all, especially when your client is five years …

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  • Telehealth News Updates: July 2022

    Telehealth News Updates: July 2022

    Now that patients, health care workers and policymakers can widen the lens on telehealth’s impact beyond an emergency response, the benefits are innumerable. The latest equity and telehealth news round-up covers the new national suicide hotline, federal funding for expanded telehealth access, telehealth easing the burden of high gas prices …

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  • Telehealth for Substance Use Disorder

    Telehealth for Substance Use Disorder

    From remote patient monitoring to teletherapy, minor medical visits and more, we’ve seen the versatility in which telehealth can be used across health care systems. And it became a saving grace for treatment and recovery for people with substance use disorders, especially during the pandemic. According to the CDC, 13% …

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  • In the News – The Need for Telemental Health Care

    In the News – The Need for Telemental Health Care

    Over the last two years, concerns about mental health and substance abuse have grown, and issues around accessibility and affordability continue to be pervasive. Now, insurance companies and industry leaders are trying to adapt. The latest equity and telehealth news round-up highlights insurance coverage of telemental health, telemental diagnoses, changes …

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  • The Future of Telehealth: Where Do We Go from Here?

    The Future of Telehealth: Where Do We Go from Here?

    We’ve spent a lot of time in these pages showcasing the many ways that physicians, mental health professionals and medical practices are employing telehealth around the commonwealth. We’ve documented the tectonic shift that took place at the outset of the pandemic, how the embrace of telemedicine provided a safe and …

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  • An Unlikely Legacy of Telemental Health from far Southwest Virginia

    An Unlikely Legacy of Telemental Health from far Southwest Virginia

    In marketing speak, Rick Mitchell is what we call an “early adopter,” the kind of consumer that is often a pioneer in embracing new technologies. They’re the folks who aren’t afraid to try new products and then let the rest of us know that it’s fine to jump in after …

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  • Telehealth in the News: The Versatility of Telehealth

    Telehealth in the News: The Versatility of Telehealth

    As we enter the next phase of the pandemic, telehealth remains a prevalent tool in increasing access to various types of care. The latest equity and telehealth news round-up covers tips for reducing clinician burnout, how telehealth is being used in emergency medicine, tools experts are using to assess digital …

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  • Expanding and Integrating Care through Telehealth

    Expanding and Integrating Care through Telehealth

    By now you’ve heard the story about the healthcare provider whose world turned topsy-turvy during the pandemic, only to realize that employing telehealth into their practice could transport them into a world approaching normalcy.  Then, two years later they come to realize that telemedicine has so many advantages that they …

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  • VTN Study Points to Importance of Telehealth for Increasing Access to Mental Health Services

    VTN Study Points to Importance of Telehealth for Increasing Access to Mental Health Services

    Virginia Telehealth Network’s Benchmarking Telehealth Usage in Virginia survey revealed the many benefits of telehealth, like increased flexibility for providers and patients. Another important benefit the survey findings illustrate is how telehealth is increasing mental health access for Virginians. The survey report finds that 97% of behavioral and mental health …

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  • Telehealth in the News: Telehealth as a Lifeline

    Telehealth in the News: Telehealth as a Lifeline

    As a push comes for a “return to normal,” it is apparent how valuable telehealth is for many populations. As medical professionals and policymakers determine a path forward they must address the barriers to access for certain populations and work towards an equitable future for telehealth. The latest equity and …

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  • Improving Access to Telehealth for Patients with Limited English Proficiency

    Improving Access to Telehealth for Patients with Limited English Proficiency

    Telehealth can be challenging for those who aren’t familiar or comfortable with technology, but patients whose first language is not English face another set of barriers. Patients with limited English language proficiency (LEP) are historically less likely to visit the doctor and less likely to get preventative care services, regardless …

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  • Telehealth in the News: Access to care for patients with Medicare and the future of telehealth

    Telehealth in the News: Access to care for patients with Medicare and the future of telehealth

    Even as the pandemic appears to be winding down, the effects and implications of the last two years likely will be felt for months, even years down the road. The healthcare industry, in particular, has found new avenues for reaching those in need, with telehealth at the forefront of those …

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  • Telehealth Benefits, Challenges and Needs, According to Virginia’s Licensed Providers

    Telehealth Benefits, Challenges and Needs, According to Virginia’s Licensed Providers

    In the fall of 2021, the Virginia Telehealth Network conducted a research initiative to better understand how the pandemic was changing the landscape of telehealth as well as pain points and needs of both providers and patients. Thanks to partners, including the Virginia Department of Health, Virginia Department of Health …

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  • Telehealth in the News: Updates in Legislation and Increased Access to Care

    Telehealth in the News: Updates in Legislation and Increased Access to Care

    As telehealth’s barriers become more evident, medical leaders and politicians are coming up with solutions to address these challenges. The latest equity and telehealth news round-up covers legislation that would extend COVID-19 emergency telehealth waivers, how telehealth increased access to follow up-visits for Black patients, a Virginia free clinic receiving …

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  • Virginia’s Community Colleges provide students with free, virtual mental health care

    Virginia’s Community Colleges provide students with free, virtual mental health care

    The staff and faculty at Germanna Community College have known for a long time that their students face non-academic barriers, many of which were exacerbated by the pandemic. That’s why advisors, faculty and staff have worked hard to provide holistic support to students. Over the last two years, there has …

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  • In Arlington, Language Barriers No Obstacle for Telehealth

    In Arlington, Language Barriers No Obstacle for Telehealth

    Not just Spanish, but Mongolian is no problemo At first blush, the story is a familiar one. Facing a national health crisis without the ability to see patients in person, a healthcare provider makes the predictable transition to telemedicine, and along the way, discovers that what seemed for a long …

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  • Benchmarking Telehealth in Virginia

    Benchmarking Telehealth in Virginia

    The past two years have been full of change, growth and learning as health care professionals, clinics and medical infrastructures quickly adapted to meet the growing demand for telehealth. Along the way, VTN has been hard at work to promote and enhance telehealth offerings across the commonwealth. Part of that …

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  • Telehealth Updates in the News: January 2022

    Telehealth Updates in the News: January 2022

    Telehealth isn’t going away any time soon. The last two years have allowed health care leaders to reflect on the implementation of telehealth across medical fields and determine how to best incorporate virtual care. The latest equity and telehealth news round-up covers bridging the digital divide with audio-only monitoring, strengthening …

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  • The forgotten crisis? How one organization is deploying telehealth to address opioid treatment

    The forgotten crisis? How one organization is deploying telehealth to address opioid treatment

    The lingering pandemic has for two years been the country’s most-pressing public health priority. But while COVID-19 has been the understandable focus during that time, the health issue that the virus eclipsed in attention has not gone away. Hospitalizations and deaths as the result of opioid overdoses continue at alarming …

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  • Survey Among Licensed Professional Counselors Reveals Overwhelming Response to Teletherapy

    Survey Among Licensed Professional Counselors Reveals Overwhelming Response to Teletherapy

    Like so many mental health practitioners, Dr. Michael Greelis made the transition to teletherapy a bit begrudgingly, recognizing that in the throes of a pandemic, you really don’t have much of a choice. A licensed professional counselor in Northern Virginia since 1995, his practice up until March 2020 had been …

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  • In the News: Equity & Telehealth Updates

    In the News: Equity & Telehealth Updates

    Curating the latest updates, news and announcements related to telehealth in the U.S. As organizations across the country continue to adapt to the pandemic’s ever-changing environment, finding resources that meet people’s health needs is critical. Telehealth has proven to be an invaluable tool for providers and patients. The latest equity …

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  • Taking an Equity Lens to Telehealth in Your Practice

    Taking an Equity Lens to Telehealth in Your Practice

    As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many physicians and healthcare organizations have turned to telehealth to address patients’ care needs. While critical to preventing the virus’s spread and preserving personal protective equipment, this move can exacerbate an equity gap in care for some. The federal government has implemented programs that …

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  • In the News: Equity & Telehealth Updates

    In the News: Equity & Telehealth Updates

    Curating the latest updates, news and announcements related to telehealth in the U.S. Telemedicine has proven to be a valuable tool for bringing care to underserved communities, but access to telehealth services can be influenced by many factors across the nation, like access to broadband. Efforts to address these gaps …

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  • New Research Shows the Reality – and the Promise – of Telemedicine

    New Research Shows the Reality – and the Promise – of Telemedicine

    This past summer, the Virginia Community Healthcare Association (VACHA), the nonprofit organization that represents the interests of Virginia’s 30 community health centers (and look-alike centers), released research it had commissioned related to the use of telemedicine, especially how COVID-19 had affected its use. To the extent possible (since a great …

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  • Telehealth Growing Pains: Bay Rivers Telehealth Alliance Strives to Maintain Its Pandemic-Fueled Momentum

    Telehealth Growing Pains: Bay Rivers Telehealth Alliance Strives to Maintain Its Pandemic-Fueled Momentum

    When the Bay Rivers Telehealth Alliance (BRTA) was created about seventeen years ago, there was a pioneering spirit among the member healthcare providers serving Virginia’s Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck. At the time, the promise of telemedicine helping expand access to care and reducing health disparities was still more aspirational …

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  • Expanding access to broadband in the Commonwealth

    Expanding access to broadband in the Commonwealth

    While telehealth is an instrumental tool in expanding access to health care for underserved localities, demographics and others in need, it’s nearly impossible to conduct without access to broadband – for both providers and patients. And in today’s day and age, it is an essential need for quality living. That’s …

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  • In the News: Equity & Telehealth Updates

    In the News: Equity & Telehealth Updates

    Image sourced from healthaffairs.org Curating the latest updates, news and announcements related to telehealth in the U.S. The landscape of telehealth is changing every day. The adoption of telehealth soared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has become an integral platform for healthcare. Laws have been updated to accommodate …

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  • The Tele-Charge of Health Brigade

    The Tele-Charge of Health Brigade

    How Virginia’s oldest free clinic transitioned to telehealth Richmond’s Health Brigade has a long history of meeting patients where they are. Created more than a half century ago in Richmond’s “Fan” district – a largely residential neighborhood that gave the community health clinic its first name – the former Fan …

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  • Creating access to online learning via occupational teletherapy

    Creating access to online learning via occupational teletherapy

    Transitioning to virtual learning was tough on students, especially for students who had difficulty performing in the classroom. Students with limitations that impact their senses, coordination, executive functioning, communication and/or behavior can find remote learning even more of a challenge. It’s why Chesterfield County Public Schools, which provides Occupational Therapy …

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  • OTs Help Chesterfield Students Transition to Teletherapy and Online Learning

    OTs Help Chesterfield Students Transition to Teletherapy and Online Learning

    Michelle Allen is an occupational therapist for Chesterfield County Public Schools and serves students privately through Treehouse Pediatric Therapy. In the school system, occupational therapists help students access their social and academic environments, which completely changed during the pandemic. “In an in-person classroom, we might be looking at positioning for …

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  • Free Clinic’s Transition to Telehealth Is Helping Grow its Practice

    Free Clinic’s Transition to Telehealth Is Helping Grow its Practice

    For more than a quarter century, the Lackey Clinic has been providing free medical care to those in need in the Yorktown community. Founded in 1995 when local physician Jim Shaw and his wife Cooka began seeing patients from a Sunday school classroom at a local church, the clinic has …

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  • Data on Telehealth Use During Pandemic Includes Some Head-Scratching Findings

    Data on Telehealth Use During Pandemic Includes Some Head-Scratching Findings

    Dr. Sadiq Patel’s recent webinar on Telehealth Equity – part of the Virginia Telehealth Network’s series on Equity & Telehealth – provided a great deal of insights into the statistics surrounding the use of telehealth in the country. A NIMH postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Patel shared …

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  • Equity in Telehealth: Addressing Areas in Need

    Equity in Telehealth: Addressing Areas in Need

    Improving telehealth means ensuring there is equity at every level. Tools, technology and processes must be accessible and customized to meet the needs of all patients. The technology providers use also should offer enhanced options and have translation capabilities for those with a language barrier. Another way physicians can improve …

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  • Equity & Telehealth: An intro with Dr. Sadiq Patel

    Equity & Telehealth: An intro with Dr. Sadiq Patel

    As part of Virginia Telehealth Network’s commitment to serving those who need it most, we kicked off our Equity & Telehealth initiative with an introductory webinar led by Dr. Sadiq Patel, NIMH Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School within the Department of Health Care Policy. During this session, Dr. …

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  • Telehealth Provides Platform for Mutual Learning During Pandemic

    Telehealth Provides Platform for Mutual Learning During Pandemic

      It was the spring of 2020, and Dr. Christian Bergman – like so many physicians specializing in the care of patients in the senior population – was concerned. Reports that COVID-19 was spreading quickly in Washington State and then New York, especially among older Americans, had him fearing a …

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  • Tips for Introducing Telehealth to Older Adults

    Tips for Introducing Telehealth to Older Adults

    There is a misperception that older adults are either uninterested in or incapable of using technological platforms for health care. However, most older people, 7 in 10, have and use a computer, smartphone, or tablet with an internet connection at home. While most older adults have access to modern technology, …

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  • Physician and nurse practitioner collaborations are a win-win-win

    Physician and nurse practitioner collaborations are a win-win-win

    The past year has brought many challenges – including new practice safeguards that for many limited how many patients could be seen in a day – as well as many opportunities. Many of our practices have embraced telehealth, new collaborations, and creative staffing models as we sought to meet our …

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  • Early Telemedicine Champion Now Seeing Remote Services Taking Hold

    Early Telemedicine Champion Now Seeing Remote Services Taking Hold

    The pace of what’s referred to as “digital adoption” – the embrace of online tools – has accelerated dramatically during the pandemic. According to research by McKinsey, consumers are driving digital adoption across their daily lives, from the way we shop and order food to how we communicate with one …

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  • Virginia Board and NP-led clinic provides free clinical services to local, underserved community

    Virginia Board and NP-led clinic provides free clinical services to local, underserved community

    When the Rockingham Free Clinic in Harrisonburg ceased operation at the end of 2020, and during a pandemic, local health care professionals stepped up to ensure those without access to healthcare would have their needs met. In April 2020, the Blue Ridge Free Clinic was established. Overall, the clinic is …

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  • Telehealth Sustains Momentum Toward Improving Health Equity

    Telehealth Sustains Momentum Toward Improving Health Equity

    VCU’s Richmond Health and Wellness Program works to create equitable solutions for older adults. The topic of equity in healthcare – an evening-out of the playing field when it comes to access to care among all populations – has been a gathering concern over the past several years. While the …

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  • Virginia policies catching up to momentum behind telemedicine

    Virginia policies catching up to momentum behind telemedicine

    The public health emergency of the past year has impacted the delivery of healthcare services in profound ways, and perhaps none more so than how it has accelerated the adoption of virtual care – by both patient and provider. From diagnostic tools to preventive care, from mental health services to …

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  • Are Digital Health Transformation and Remote Patient Monitoring the healthcare of the future?

    Are Digital Health Transformation and Remote Patient Monitoring the healthcare of the future?

    We have seen a glimpse of the future of health care during the pandemic this past year. Tools such as telemedicine and video platforms were quickly deployed to provide care to patients with chronic disease at their own homes in order to keep them from overwhelming hospital systems that have …

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  • General Assembly easing path to independent practice for nurse practitioners

    General Assembly easing path to independent practice for nurse practitioners

    Those of you following the recently completed session of the Virginia General Assembly may have taken special notice of a bill having to do with nurse practitioners. Proposed by Del. Dawn M. Adams, herself a practicing nurse practitioner, H.B. 1737 – which passed by more than a three-to-one margin in …

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  • Too soon to be planning for post-pandemic?  Likely not.

    Too soon to be planning for post-pandemic?  Likely not.

    The pandemic has engendered changes within healthcare at every level – from a relaxation of regulations by policymakers to the adoption of new protocols among healthcare providers to changes in behavior among patients. The question now – how much of this new normal will last once we are on the …

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  • Building connections through telehealth

    Building connections through telehealth

    While telehealth has been around for years, it was something new for many healthcare professionals across the commonwealth, quickly obliged to adopt it when the pandemic and social distancing protocols began. A year later, the volume of telehealth claims in the southern region of the nation is up more than …

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