November 2017 - In This Issue:
In the News
Telehealth Groups Urge Congress to Double Rural Broadband Funding
--mHealthIntelligence

"In a letter to Congress, a coalition of healthcare providers and telehealth networks asks that the fund supporting rural broadband expansion for telehealth be boosted from $400 million to $800 million."

Click here to read more.
House Passes Bill Supporting National VA Telehealth Program
--Healthcare IT News

"Introduced earlier this fall by the VA Secretary, the bill would override state licensing restrictions for telemedicine for the agency's providers."
Rural West Texas EMS Providers to Try Out a Telehealth Backpack
--mHealth Intelligence

"A Texas health system will equip 10 ambulances with telehealth backpacks and broadband connectivity to help EMS providers connect with health systems in an area larger than New England."

  Click here to read more.
A New Curriculum Could Advance Teleneurology
--Healthcare Analytics News

"As more communities face a worsening shortage of neurologists, hospitals are turning to remote providers to fill gaps in care. But by and large, medical schools and healthcare systems have yet to pin down a formal training course for teleneurology.

That is, until now."

Click here to read more.
N.C. School-Based Telehealth Program Grows Into National Model 
--Healthcare Informatics

"In its sixth year of providing school-based care via telehealth in four counties of North Carolina, the nonprofit Center for Rural Health Innovation's Health-e-Schools program has grown into a national model. What started as a pilot in three rural schools in the Appalachian Mountains has grown to 33 schools in four counties."

Click here to read more.
Telehealth News & Events
Call for Abstracts
Palmetto Care Connections invites you to participate in the
 6th Annual Telehealth Summit Call for Abstracts. The Summit is scheduled for April 10-12, 2018, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Click here for more information. 

FREE Webinar


South Carolina Telehealth Awardees
Congratulations to Melissa Camp with Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center for receiving the Leaders Innovating Telehealth Award (LIT) at the Vidyo Healthcare Summit in Nashville!

Click here to read the press release by SC Department of Mental Health.
Congratulations to Ernest Shock, Abbeville Area Medical Center, for winning PCC's door prize (giftcard) at the SC Office of Rural Health Annual Conference!

winner_logo_vector.jpg
Congratulations to Donna Thrift, Laurens Family Medicine, winner of a FREE 6th Annual Telehealth Summit of SC Registration!
SC Telehealth Alliance Mid-Year Report
The South Carolina Telehealth Alliance (SCTA) has released the 2017 mid-year report. Click here to view the report or visit www.sctelehealth.org to learn more about SCTA.



Nurse Practitioners Delivering Care via Telehealth 
Earlier this year, a joint committee of the SC Board of Nursing and the SC Board of Medical Examiners determined that neither the Nurse Practice Act, set forth in Chapter 33 of Title 40, nor the Telemedicine Act of South Carolina authorizes Nurse Practitioners to provide services via telehealth. The South Carolina Telehealth Alliance (SCTA), working collaboratively with its partners, including Palmetto Care Connections, published a Position Paper and developed a Protocol Approval Process to be used by APRNs when requesting approval from the Joint Committee.

View the  SCTA's Position Statement on Nurse Practitioners Delivering Care via Telehealth and the  APRN Telemedicine Protocol Approval Process .
Upcoming Events

Please join the SC Office of Rural Health  in Greenwood, SC, to celebrate the #powerofrural and unveil South Carolina's Rural Health Action Plan at our 7th annual National Rural Health Day event!
 
When:  November 16, 2017 10:00-11:30 A.M 
Where: James C. Self Conference Center at Piedmont Technical College
               620 N. Emerald Rd. |  Greenwood, SC 29648
 
Funding Opportunity!


Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program
HRSA-18-030 | Office of Rural Health Policy

Application Accepted: 10/06/2017 to 12/06/2017

Projected Award Date: 05/01/2018

Estimated Award Amount: N/A

Program Description:
The Outreach Program is a community-based grant program aimed towards promoting rural health care services by enhancing health care delivery in rural communities. Outreach projects focus on the improvement of access to services, strategies for adapting to changes in the health care environment, and overall enrichment of the respective community's health. Through a consortia of local health care and social service providers, rural communities can develop innovative approaches to challenges related to their specific health needs. Furthermore, the program creates an opportunity to address the key clinical priorities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): serious mental illness, substance abuse, and childhood obesity.


A special thank you to our partners for working with us to improve the health of South Carolina through telemedicine. 


    
 
 

Any new announcements, updates, expansions, or changes? Email Davia Smith at davias@palmettocareconnections.org . We will highlight your organization in our Partner Updates. 

Thanks!