In 2026, the Virginia Telehealth Network (VTN) marks an incredible milestone: 20 years of advancing telehealth across the Commonwealth. What began as a small group of people asking big questions has grown into a statewide network shaping how care is delivered, accessed, and sustained in Virginia.
VTN’s journey is one of collaboration, powered by telehealth champions who believed early on in telehealth’s potential. Together, they helped transform an emerging idea into an essential part of Virginia’s health care landscape.
To sustain this work, please consider making a one-time or recurring donation.
The Early Years: Convening a Community
The origins of VTN trace back to when Virginia participated in the Southern Governors’ Association Telehealth/Homeland Security Task Force, tasked with answering the question: who in Virginia is doing telehealth? The answer revealed a growing but disconnected ecosystem.
On November 4, 2002, representatives from state agencies, academic medical centers, health systems, corrections, emergency services, public health, and higher education gathered in Richmond at the Department of Rehabilitative Services. These informal meetings marked the beginning of what would eventually become the Virginia Telehealth Network.
Initial focus areas included emergency preparedness, connectivity and infrastructure, clinical telemedicine pilots, distance education and workforce training, rural access for underserved communities, and early policy and sustainability challenges such as reimbursement, interoperability, and malpractice. From the outset, participants recognized that telehealth’s future depended on coordination, shared standards, and trust across institutions, not isolated efforts.
By 2005, collaboration had matured into strategy. That spring, telehealth leaders met at Natural Bridge for Virginia’s first Telehealth Consensus Conference, where stakeholders aligned around a shared vision, explored governance and sustainability, and outlined a scalable, interoperable statewide network.
Later that year, the resulting strategic plan was presented statewide, marking the formal emergence of VTN. In 2006, the organization was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership network, focused on building cross-sector partnerships, sharing best practices, and advancing telehealth adoption across the Commonwealth.
Maturation and Momentum: From Pilots to Policy
As broadband access expanded and telehealth technologies matured, VTN’s role evolved beyond advocacy into statewide leadership. Throughout the 2010s, the organization became a key convener of providers, professional associations, academic institutions, and policymakers working to advance access to care through telehealth.
In 2016, VTN hosted its first statewide summit at the University of Virginia’s Jordan Hall Conference Center, establishing a dedicated forum for collaboration, learning, and innovation that continues today.
VTN’s convening power and research expertise proved especially critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, when telehealth adoption accelerated at an unprecedented pace. VTN supported providers through statewide surveys, benchmarking reports, and policy guidance, with a particular focus on rural and medically underserved communities. A VTN-led research effort documented dramatic increases in telehealth utilization, reinforcing telehealth’s essential role in maintaining access to care while reducing infection risk.
This work also laid the foundation for the Virginia Telemental Health Initiative. Informed by surveys, focus groups, and extensive stakeholder input, VTN helped design and launch a pilot that has since grown into a nonprofit and Virginia’s first statewide virtual mental health free clinic, addressing both access gaps and workforce challenges.
Recognizing telehealth’s permanence, Virginia law now directs the Virginia Board of Health to contract with VTN to support the Statewide Telehealth Plan, elevating VTN’s role from advocate to steward of Virginia’s public telehealth strategy.
From 2022 through 2025, VTN continued to lead through research, listening sessions, statewide summits, educational resources, and partnerships that support innovative, equity-driven programs across the Commonwealth.
Across two decades, VTN has remained grounded in its core values of access, equity, collaboration, and innovation—proof that sustained collaboration can build lasting systems of care.
Sustaining Telehealth for the Next 20 Years
VTN’s 20-year journey has been powered by collaboration, innovation, and the commitment of countless telehealth champions. To keep building on this legacy and ensure that all Virginians have access to high-quality care, we rely on the support of our community. Your contribution, big or small, helps VTN:
- Expand telehealth access to rural and underserved communities
- Provide training, education, and resources to health care providers
- Launch innovative programs to meet emerging needs
- Advocate for policies that strengthen telehealth statewide
Donate now to support VTN’s mission and help ensure that health care is accessible, equitable, and innovative for every Virginian.