VTN Founder Spotlight: Azhar Rafiq
How Early Collaboration, and NASA, Helped Launch Telehealth in Virginia To help celebrate VTN’s 20th anniversary of advancing telehealth across Virginia, we’re continuing our blog series highlighting founding board members whose early work shaped the organization’s direction. We spoke with Azhar Rafiq, M.D., MBA, MEd, who spent much of his career at Virginia Commonwealth School of Medicine before [...]
VTN Founder Spotlight: Howard Chapman, Jr.
To help celebrate VTN’s 20th anniversary of advancing telehealth across the Commonwealth, we’re beginning a new blog series in which we speak with founding board members to learn more about VTN’s inception as well as pivotal moments in the organization’s history. This month, we spoke with Howard Chapman, Jr., Director of Programs and Development at Tri-Area Community Health and VTN’s Board Treasurer. When VTN was established, Howard was the Executive [...]
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DEA Grants Fourth Temporary Extension of Flexibilities for Tele-Prescribing Controlled Substances Through 2026
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has issued a Fourth Temporary Extension of the COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for the Prescription of Controlled Medications, extending the current telemedicine flexibilities through December 31, 2026. Telemedicine flexibilities regarding prescription of controlled medications include: A DEA-registered practitioner can prescribe a Schedule II-V controlled substance [...]
Equity in Your Practice
Tips and Resources:
- Rural Health Information Hub: Rural Telehealth Toolkit
- MATRC: Digital Inclusion and Broadband
- National Digital Inclusion Alliance: Free & Low-Cost Internet Plans
- Telehealth HHS: Telehealth for rural areas
- National Quality Forum: Rural Telehealth and Healthcare System Readiness Measurement Framework – Final Report
- American Telemedicine Association: Telehealth for Rural Communities
- USAC Lifeline Support: Get Connected to Phone or Internet Service
- Commonwealth Connection
- FCC Broadband Map
- SAMHSA: Digital Access – A Super Determinant of Health

