Rural regions can face many challenges in delivering health care, including barriers to patient travel and provider access.
Telehealth and telemedicine are the delivery of clinical health care services through real-time video transmission to provide greater access to specialty and primary care, or remote patient monitoring in the home.
AHI supports telehealth and telemedicine throughout our nine-county North Country region by serving as a resource, helping partners to assess their needs and readiness, connecting organizations to specialists, providing insight on equipment and vendors, helping navigate through regulatory and reimbursement questions, organizing educational opportunities, and sharing grant information.
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Resource Documents
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the number of changes happening by the hour, the AHI Telehealth team has made available the following telehealth-related resource documents for the benefit of regional organizations. Information is available on the multiple state waivers that have been released, Medicare waivers, commercial plan updates, telehealth software resources, upcoming webinars, and other agency resource guides related to this topic.
- AHI COVID-19 Telehealth Resource Guide – 3.30.20
- AHI Webinar Slide Deck: Telehealth and COVID-19 – 3.25.20
- Center for Connected Health Policy COVID-19 Telehealth Coverage Policies
- Center for Connected Health Policy COVID-19 Telehealth Policy Update Video
- CMS General Telemedicine Toolkit
- CMS Telehealth Toolkit for Long-Term Care Facilities and Nursing Homes
- Department of Health and Human Services Limited Waiver of HIPAA Sanctions
- DOH Medicaid Telehealth Guidance FAQ
- HPMS COVID-19 Information for Plans Memo
- Medicare Fee-for-Service Response to COVID-19
- Medicare Telemedicine Health Care Provider Fact Sheet
- National Association of Community Health Centers COVID-19 Resource Page
- OASAS COVID-19 Letter of Counsel
- OASAS Telepractice FAQ
- OASAS Telepractice Waiver Update – 3.13.20
- OASAS Telepractice Waiver Update – 3.20.20
- OMH COVID-19 Telehealth Modifier Spreadsheet
- OMH General and Telemental Health FAQ
- OPWDD Telehealth Updates
- Physicians and Other Clinicians: CMS Flexibilities to Fight COVID-19
- Private Payer Telehealth Regulations – COVID-19
- Self-Attestation to Deliver Services Via Telemental Health During the Disaster Emergency
- Supplemental Guidance: Expansion of Telemental Health During the Disaster Emergency
- Supplemental Guidance: Use of Telehealth for OMH-Funded Programs
- Supplemental Guidance: Use of Telehealth for Residential Services
- Telehealth PAL – HRSA Health Centers
- Telehealth Vendor Resource Guide
- Use of Telemental Health for People Affected by the Disaster Emergency
- Waiver of SHIN-NY Written Consent During COVID-19 Outbreak for Telehealth
North Country Telehealth Conference
The North Country Telehealth Partnership (NCTP) each year hosts a conference in November. The organization strives to make this conference interactive and informational, providing attendees with updates on current and prospective future trends in telehealth, particularly applicable in rural settings. The latest conference attracted nearly 200 stakeholders.
Telehealth Conference Archive
- 2019 North Country Telehealth Conference Archive
- 2018 North Country Telehealth Conference Archive
- 2017 North Country Telehealth Conference Archive
- 2016 North Country Telehealth Conference Archive
North Country Telehealth Partnership
Visit the North Country Telehealth Partnership (NCTP) website for more information about northern New York’s leading agency focused on increasing access to health care through the innovative use of telehealth and telemedicine technology. The partnership, established in April 2013 with funding from New York State’s Charles D. Cook Office of Rural Health, is a joint effort of the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization and Adirondack Health Institute.
The NCTP’s mission is to provide local health care providers with the technical assistance they need to develop and expand telehealth services, leading to improved access to high-quality health care for medically-underserved, rural North Country residents. The NCTP provides telehealth resources and support in an 11-county region (Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, Saratoga, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington).
North Country Telehealth Partnership Webinars
The North Country Telehealth Partnership hosts a number of webinars each year. Below are webinar recordings focused on such topics as telehealth basics, definitions, modalities, billing, reimbursement and current uses.
Telemedicine Implementation Guide
Read the Telemedicine Implementation Guide, a document created for partners by the North Country Telehealth Partnership.
Join the Telehealth Learning Collaborative
The Telehealth Learning Collaborative is a monthly video conference hosted by the North Country Telehealth Partnership. The collaborative brings together stakeholders from across New York State to help ensure successful telemedicine project implementation, continuity, and sustainability.
DSRIP – AHI Performing Provider System (PPS)
Many Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) projects may incorporate telemedicine into implementation.
Resources
- AHI Telehealth Listening Tour Report 2020
- Center for Connected Health Policy – Monitors state and federal telehealth policies.
- CMS Guide for Telehealth Services
- New York State Department of Health Medicaid Update Special Edition: Expansion of Telehealth
- New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services – Telepractice Standards for OASAS Designated Providers
- New York State Office of Mental Health – Telepsychiatry Guidance for Local Providers
- Northeast Telehealth Resource Center – A regional resource that provides technical assistance to develop, implement, and expand telehealth services in New England, New York, and New Jersey.
- Telehealth Funding Application
For more information about the North Country Telehealth Partnership:
Katy Cook, MS
Certified Telehealth Coordinator
Project Manager, Telehealth
Adirondack Health Institute
101 Ridge Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801
518.480.0111, ext. 315
[email protected]
