In 2012, the Office for Victims of Crime and the National Institute of Justice awarded funds to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) to create a National Sexual Assault TeleNursing Center. Telemedicine equipment at four pilot sites will give clinicians 24/7 audio and video access to a staff of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) for guidance and support when treating sexual assault victims.

MDPH has issued a Request for Response (RFR) for three pilot sites that deliver medical services to priority populations (rural, tribal and corrections). A fourth site, serving the military community, will be a U.S Navy facility and will be selected in a separate process. All four sites will work closely with the National TeleNursing Center to ensure a more trauma-informed patient experience, promote healing, and enhance the adjudication of sexual assault cases in these communities. (more…)

The full-day event is being organized by state broadband organizations from Arkansas, Illinois and Missouri. The agenda features interactive panel discussions on healthcare needs, rural issues, policy updates, electronic health information systems and more.

Key objectives of the event are to provide participants with real-world takeaways and actionable items that can be applied to a variety of settings and issues, including healthcare policy, home telehealth, mental health and inpatient and outpatient services.

View more information on the Summit.

In 2012, the Office for Victims of Crime and the National Institute of Justice awarded funds to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) to develop a national telemedicine center that provides 24/7 access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANESs) who will provide guidance and support for clinicians in remote sites conducting forensic evidence collection for sexual assault victims.  MDPH has issues a Request for Response (RFR)  for three sites serving priority populations (rural, tribal and corrections) to partner with the National TeleNursing Center. A fourth site, serving the military, will be a U.S Navy facility and selected in a separate process.    

If you are interested in responding to this request, please read the RFR at www.comm-pass.com. Follow the instructions below to access the RFR and all associated forms and documents. Please note that this process will work much easier if you have the most recent version of Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Safari.  (more…)

View the recently released CMS Medicare Fee-For-Service Provider e-News.

HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator is offering free vouchers for Health IT professionals to take one or more of the Health IT Professional – HIT Pro – Exams. Exams will cover six key areas and must be taken by April 1, 2013. The Workforce Development Program support by the Office of the National Coordinator is working to provide continued support to providers and hospitals in adopting health IT. As of February 2013, over 17,000 individuals living and working in rural communities have taken part in the training offered through the program.

Testing topics include:

• Clinician/Practitioner Consultant
• Implementation Manager
• Implementation Support Specialist
• Practice Workflow & Information Management Redesign Specialist
• Technical/Software Support Staff
• Trainer

Please visit http://www.healthit.gov/policy-researchers-implementers/competency-examination-program for more information and to request vouchers.

View the recently released CMS Medicare Fee-For-Service Provider e-News.