1. Great Plains Telehealth Resource and Assistance Center
University of Minnesota/Institute for Health Informatics
330 Diehl Hall
505 Essex Street S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 888-239-7092
Fax: 612-626-7227

2. gptrac.org
Stop by the Core BTS Booth today
to learn how integrating
collaboration technologies
into healthcare environments
can have a positive impact for
healthcare providers and patients.
Collaboration
Technologies
IT Starts Here.
Thank you to our Premier Sponsor!
GREAT PLAINS TELEHEALTH RESOURCE & ASSISTANCE CENTER (gpTRAC)
Great Plains Telehealth Resource and Assistance Center (gpTRAC) helps healthcare providers develop,
implement and expand their telehealth programs. We serve Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin. Our mission is to improve access to quality healthcare services through technology.
At gpTRAC, we have a four-part mission: build telehealth awareness, promote education, provide individualized
consulation, and provide data specific to telehealth services in our region. We promote healthcare services that
take advantage of modern telecommunications technologies such as interactive videoconferencing, secure
Internet transactions, home health monitoring and mHealth.
We work to advance telehealth program development by offering resources to healthcare providers and
organizations interested in telehealth and telemedicine. We can also help health organizations navigate
other challenging areas in telehealth, including legal concerns, regulatory issues, appropriate technology, the
implementation process, and financial issues.
gpTRAC is one of several regional telehealth resource centers receiving support from the Office for the
Advancement of Telehealth—part of the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
Find more information at: www. gpTRAC.org
TELEHEALTH RESOURCE CENTERS
Telehealth Resource Centers (TRCs) are funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, which is part of the
Office of Rural Health Policy. Nationally, there are a total of 14 TRCs which include 12 Regional Centers, all
with different strengths and regional expertise, and 2 National Center which focus on areas of technology
assessment and telehealth policy.
Find more information at: www.telehealthresourcecenter.org
This conference made possible in part by grant number G22RH26185 from the Office for the Advancement of
Telehealth, Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHS.

3. PAGE 14: THANK YOU (CONT.) PAGE 3: WELCOME
Thank you!
VBrick Systems offers a complete solution for managing and
distributing video and other streaming media across any network, to
any device. Combining highly reliable, scalable media management
and distribution solutions with expert professional services, we help
customers improve productivity, reduce costs and fully engage their
target audiences — regardless of size, distance or location.
For more information, visit www.vbrick.com.
Video Guidance is an independent service provider who partners
with the world’s leading conferencing and telemedicine manufacturers
to create customized healthcare solutions that deliver telemedicine,
medical education, administrative services and improved patient care.
Our integrated solutions help improve the cost-effectiveness of clinical
collaboration, enable virtual care team consulting, manage distributed
operations and utilize scarce expert resources.
Learn more at www.videoguidance.com.
vitaphone e-health solutions provides healthcare management
systems that support Cardiac Ambulatory Monitoring, Chronic
Disease Management and Medication Adherence Management with
continuous, timely and accurate biometric information ready for use by
the entire healthcare team. Learn more at www.vitaphone.com.
(CONTINUED)
Find us today on the following
social media sites:
VISIT WWW.GPTRAC.ORG
Great Plains TRAC
@gpTRAC
THANK YOU TO OUR ORGANIZATIONAL SPONSORS:
Welcome to the 2015 gpTRAC Regional Telehealth Forum!
It has certainly been an exciting year for telehealth in this region.
Our theme this year, Innovations: Staying Ahead of the Curve, is one that
describes not only our challenge, but our goal…and I’m certain yours as well!
In all six states served by gpTRAC (Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota,
South Dakota and Wisconsin), there is a marked increase in the amount of
attention being paid to telehealth. There has been legislative and regulatory
discussions around reimbursement and licensure policy changes that will impact
telehealth service delivery; many established programs are making plans to
expand services and to develop additional ones; changes and enhancements in
technology are allowing service opportunities not considered in the past, and
interest from companies not previously involved; and more. And, it doesn’t seem
to be slowing down!
We hope this forum will serve as a place where telehealth champions and
leaders can gather to not only learn from each other, but also to strategize and
discuss ways to best address the challenges and opportunities approaching us
all. gpTRAC is ready to partner with you in these efforts and we look forward with
excitement at what the next year will bring!
- Your Friends at gpTRAC
Mary DeVany, Zoi Hills, and Stuart Speedie, PhD
WELCOME!
Mayo Clinic is an integrated health care organization with over 3800 physicians and scientists
and 50,000 allied health staff providing care to over a million patients annually across all of the
campuses. Connected Care at Mayo is an important virtual approach to providing patient care and
extending Mayo’s knowledge and expertise. Connected Care services range from asynchronous
interactions and remote monitoring to real time synchronous or video communications.
Asynchronous interactions include examples such as physician to physician electronic consultation
(eConsults) and directly with patients through secure, electronic messaging via the patient portal.
Synchronous services are still under development and in various stages of implementation. These
service offerings range from telestroke and eICU to video consults and follow-up visits to patients
in other facilities and at home. While a number of remote monitoring services and interactions
occur, a formal business assessment and proposal for these services in the future is underway.
The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider
of senior care and services, owns and operates more than 240 healthcare centers, home care
agencies and senior living communities in 24 states. Founded in 1922, the Good Samaritan
Society’s mission is to share God’s love in word and deed by providing shelter and supportive
services to older persons and others in need, believing that “In Christ’s Love, Everyone Is Someone.”
LivingWell@Home is the Good Samaritan Society’s newest service that combines remote patient
monitoring and in-home technologies to deliver supportive services to individuals with chronic
health conditions.

4. forum schedule
8:00
9:00
9:10
10:10
11:10
11:40
12:40
1:30
2:30
3:15
4:15
5:15
5:30
Registration and Exhibits
Welcome
Keynote Speaker: Darin Vander Well - DocuTAP
Vendor Roundtable Session
Break/Exhibits
Panel #1 - International Impact
Telemedicine: Frontline of Ebola Treatment - University of
Nebraska Medical Center
International Clinics - Sanford Health
Addressing Cultural Diversity - Arizona Telehealth Network
Lunch
Panel #2 - It’s Just Business
Workforce Support - Avera eHealth
Practice Services vs. Business Services - Mayo Clinic
Engaging Medical Students to Improve Telemedicine Adoption
- University of Iowa Health Care
Break/Exhibits
Concurrent Session (Full - one hour sessions, pick one)
CHF & Remote Monitoring - Essentia Health
ADVICE (Diabetes Education Program) - Arizona Telehealth
Workplace Telehealth - Mayo Clinic
Telehealth Payment Policy Update: Aaron Fishbach, Federal ORHP
Exhibit Hall (Open for half hour)
No-Host Social Gathering Time (Elements)
i n n o v a t i o n s : s t a y i n g a h e a d o f t h e c u r v e
M O N D A Y , A P R I L 6
saving lives saving time saving money
Thank you!
myLink4Life has developed a software platform specifically for
pharmacies to assist the pharmacist in chronic condition management
(using in-house Patient Monitoring), and patient engagement/retention,
while creating a revenue stream for the pharmacy. The essence of
the hardware that has been developed for obtaining these vital sign
readings is basically a patented transmitter attached to either a blood
pressure cuff, glucometer, or weight scale that transmits a radio
signal (not blue tooth) to a gateway attached to a router that instantly
transmits the data to the cloud and on to a unique website specifically
coded for the patient and accessible by designated members of the
patient’s health care circle. For more information, visit www.mylink4life.
com.
Philips Healthcare is dedicated to the future of healthcare and saving
lives. We develop innovative solutions across the care continuum
in partnership with clinicians and customers to improve patient
outcomes, provide better value, and expand access to care.
Find more information at www.hospitaltohome.philips.com
Regions Hospital is a teaching hospital located in St. Paul, MN part
of the HealthPartners system. The hospital is an ACS verified Level
1 Trauma Center for both children and adults, and was Minnesota’s
first pediatric level one trauma center. Regions Hospital is a leading,
full-service, private hospital, with special programs in heart, cancer,
behavioral health, burn, emergency and trauma.
For more information, visit www.regionshospital.com.
Rural Health Telecom focuses solely on supplying quality
telecommunications products and services to healthcare facilities in
rural America. In fact, we are the industry leader in the continental
United States. Since 1999, we have steadily grown by understanding
that our ultimate goal is helping doctors and other healthcare providers
serve their patients through the latest telecommunications technology.
Our dedication to customer care means healthcare professionals can
spend their time keeping patients healthy rather than worrying about
hardware and software. And with today’s advances in telemedicine,
Rural Health Telecom can ensure your healthcare facility is wired so
that the latest technology is available to doctors in even the remotest
parts of the country. Learn more at www.telequality.com
Rural Health Care (RHC) Program provides support to eligible
rural health care providers (HCPs) that quality for reduced rates for
telecommunications services and broadband access. This allows HCPs
to pay rates for telecommunications services similar to those of their
urban counterparts, making telehealth services affordable in rural areas.
The program is administered by USAC under the oversight of the FCC.
More information is found at www.usac.org/rhc
(CONTINUED)

5. Opening Messages
Keynote Speaker: Joseph Tracy, Lehigh Valley Health
Panel #3 - Extending the Clinic Walls
Urban-based Services - Lehigh Valley Health
FQHCs and Telehealth - Horizon Health
Telemed in Geriatric & Psychiatric Care Settings - Altru Health
Break
Panel #4 - Innovations in Telehealth
Remote Monitoring & The Medical Home - Evangelical Lutheran
Good Samaritan Society
Expanding Substance Abuse Service - SD Department of
Social Services
Pharmacy Transformation - CHI Virtual Health
Directed Group Conversation
Lunch
Forum Concludes
Optional Tour - Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society
OPTIONAL TOUR
If you have an interest in participating in the tour of the LivingWell@Home
program, please stop by the registration desk and sign up.
There is limited space available.
8:00
8:15
9:15
10:15
10:30
11:30
12:00
1:00
1:30
T u e s D A Y , A P R I L 7
Thank you!
Cardiocom®, Experts in Telehealth, is an integrated clinical telehealth
services leader. Cardiocom provides cost-effective telemonitoring
solutions for complex chronic conditions including heart failure,
diabetes, hypertension, COPD, asthma, CKD and ESRD. The
Cardiocom Telehealth System complements the chronic care model
by decreasing acute care hospitalizations, focusing home visits and
increasing referrals. Learn more at www.cardiocom.com.
Core BTS is committed to understanding an organization’s business
objectives through a collaborative approach to ensure the best return
on technology investments. Core BTS prides itself in leveraging industry
knowledge and first-hand experiences while understanding that every
organization has different cultural dynamics that play an integral role
in technology adoption. Core BTS prides itself in the ability to turn
business ideas from a transformational view, envision, into working
solutions, execute. Core BTS follows a common methodology for
successful implementation and operational model that allows for
successful transition to the organization’s support staff at project
completion. IT Starts Here. More information at www.corebts.com
Enventis is a leading provider of advances communications solutions
including data, cloud and IT services to businesses throughout the
upper Midwest. The company also provides residential broadband
services in select southern Minnesota and northwest Iowa
communities. Enventis has an extensive fiber network and is a Cisco
Gold Certified Partner. Enventis is a subsidiary of Consolidated
Communications (NASDAQ: CNSL), serving 11 states.
Learn more at www.enventis.com
InTouch Health provides technology-enabled services to healthcare
providers for the delivery of high-quality clinical care virtually anywhere,
anytime. The InTouch Telehealth Network enables healthcare systems
to deploy telehealth applications across their own enterprise, and into
other care sites, such as non-affiliated hospitals, rehab centers, long-
term care, clinics and homes. InTouch Health also offers physician
services to assist healthcare systems in meeting their telehealth
demands, and to address physician shortages.
Learn more at www.intouchhealth.com.
LivingWell@Home is the newest service line offering of the
Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. LivingWell@Home
combines remote patient monitoring with various in-home placed
technologies to deliver supportive services to individuals with chronic
health conditions. LivingWell@Home has several iterations of the
delivery model but the latest is focused around enhancing the work
done through the primary care medical homes delivery of services.
Learn more at www.good-sam.com.
(CONTINUED)

6. session INFO
M O N D A Y , A P R I L 6
KEYNOTE SESSION 1 | 9:10am
Telehealth and Urgent Care: Partners or Siblings?
Darin Vander Well, Director of Product
DocuTAP, Sioux Falls, SD
DocuTAP provides urgent care practices with an innovative approach to workflow management. Its flagship product, DocuTAP’s
EMR and Practice Management software, fully integrates practice management and electronic medical records capabilities in one
complete system. DocuTAP software features automated and customizable tools that enhance healthcare provider’ ability to deliver
and manage patient care.
Darin Vander Well is DocuTAP’s Director of Product, meaning he knows the DocuTAP software inside and out, and he casts the
vision for the future of the software. In addition to Product Development, Darin also heads up Release Management.
An early team member, Darin has been at DocuTAP since 2008. The first part of Darin’s career was spent at Avera Health in
healthcare research and technical writing.
Vendor “Roundtable Session” | 10:10am
“Just A Taste”…this session allows just that. During this session you get a chance to hear briefly from each of our sponsoring vendors.
In a “speed-dating-like” format, each vendor will have you at their table for about three minutes to share some “tasty bits” about their
company before you rotate to the next table. While you won’t have time to get through their entire “menu” of services and products,
you will have a much better idea of those you want to have a “full course” conversation with during break times. Enjoy!
Break/Exhibits
Panel Presentation #1 | 11:40am | International Affect
Telemedicine: Frontline of Ebola Treatment
Max Thacker, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Overview of UNMC’s Biocontainment Unit and how telemedicine was used to provide care for the patients.
International Clinics
Matt Van Holland, Executive Director – Implementation and Operations, Sanford International Clinics
This session will be an overview of Sanford International Clinics initiative, including a brief summary of how Telehealth is being used
to create sustainable healthcare in Ghana.
Addressing Cultural Diversity
Janet Major, Arizona Telehealth Network
Many cultural considerations might be obvious and others surprising. In the world of telehealth we need to consider all aspects of
culture. We need to foster the use of technology and communication at a distance and in Arizona we use hands-on training as well
as developing culturally sensitive protocols and best practices.
LUNCH
The story behind DocuTAP has some shared similarities of interest to telehealth programs. First, when DocuTAP
began as a start-up company, they needed to understand and then communicate the value of this product to new
users. Since this is a challenge that many telehealth programs still face today, this will be a chance to hear what
worked for them. Second, there has been a marked up-turn in the level of interest in telehealth applications for the
urgent care environment. Some thoughts regarding the role telehealth can play with urgent care have been shared
on the company’s blog at: http://docutap/blog/urgent-care-trends-to-watch-for-in-2015.
Panel Presentation #2 | 1:30pm | It’s Just Business!
Workforce Support
Amanda (Mandy) Bell, Avera eCARE
Avera’s approach to telemedicine focuses on the needs of the rural clinical workforce as much as the patient. Supporting clinicians who
are often asked to practice in isolation allows Avera eCARE to positively impact recruitment and retention and help sustain rural health
care. At the same time, eCARE’s programs provide opportunities for professional development and real-time mentoring. Learn how this
focus improves access in rural health care and ultimately leads to better outcomes for patients.
When the Student Becomes the Teacher: Engaging Medical Students to Improve Telemedicine Adoption
Elesa Wedemeyer, University of Iowa Health Care
Some providers meet telemedicine initiatives with “Why do I have to do this?” Our medical students often respond with “Why aren’t we
already doing this?” because they grew up with technology that makes telemedicine platforms often second-nature to them. Those
students are early-adopters and will be serving as ambassadors for telemedicine with more resistant or technology-challenged providers
through a new educational curriculum at the University of Iowa.
Practice Services vs Business Services
Beth Kreofsky, Mayo Clinic-Center for Connected Care
It can be challenging to differentiate between various service types offered at a large healthcare organization. At Mayo Clinic, we are
defining what Connected Care business services are needed to effectively meet virtual practice delivery needs. Standardized processes,
teams, and operations are being constructed for a synchronous service line that can grow and flex with the demand for clinical video
interaction.
Break/Exhibits
Concurrent Sessions | 3:15pm | Room locations will be announced
CHF & Remote Monitoring
Denise Buxbaum, Heart Failure Program Manager, and Maureen Ideker, Director of Telehealth, Essentia Health
St. Mary’s Heart & Vascular Center in Duluth, Minnesota has been nationally recognized for their ambulatory Heart Failure Program. Key
factors for their success include both care coordination and remote patient monitoring. In this session learn how they have managed to
reduce admission and re-admission rates for their 2,300 Heart Failure program patients. Recognize how this model can work for any
disease management program.
ADVICE Program
Janet Major, Associate Director of Facilities for Arizona Telehealth Network
The Arizona Diabetes Virtual Center of Excellence (ADVICE) was a comprehensive program for diabetes prevention, assessment, and
management utilizing the Arizona Telemedicine Program Network. It was “built” with a federal grant, followed by a state grant and several
years later ended as a successful collaboration among almost 400 organizations who are waging the war against diabetes all over the
state Arizona.
Workplace Telehealth
Scot Ramsey, Operations Administrator, Mayo Clinic, and Melissa Barr, Operations Manager, Mayo Clinic Health System, and David Krenz,
Superintendent, Austin Public Schools
Mayo Clinic Health System (MCHS) and Austin Public School (APS) have partnered to pilot a new telemedicine platform, called Mayo
Clinic Health Connection. The goal is to improve access, decrease overall healthcare costs, and improve overall health of individuals
within the community. The pilot will explore a shared saving/cost avoidance model between MCHS and APS. The pilot will run one year
from March 2014 to March 2015 and metrics will include patient satisfaction and engagement, utilization, provider satisfaction, overall
cost savings. Presenters from MCHS and APS will review the objectives and goals of this pilot, current results, and early lessons learned.
General Session | 4:15pm
Telehealth Payment Policy Update
Aaron Fishbach, Policy Coordinator,
Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Washington, DC
Participants will learn about Medicare telehealth services reimbursement policy – including understanding originating site eligibility and
distant site payment – and receive a brief update on Federal Office of Rural Health Policy telehealth activities.
EXHIBITS OPEN
Thank you!
AiR Healthcare Solutions - AiR’s innovative product, AiRCare, is a
comprehensive suite of cloud-based solutions that can help organizations
improve outcomes, increase patient satisfaction and improve bottom line.
AiRCare provides the systems infrastructure, automation and algorithms
needed for dynamic management of patient care and treatment provider
resources. AiRCare combines experienced clinical case managers with
AiRMetrics, a patent-pending Microsoft-based software that engages with
patients throughout all stages of behavioral health treatment and follow-
up.Learn more at www.airhealthcaresolutions.com.
AMD Global Telemedicine is the pioneer of clinical Telemedicine
Encounter Management Solutions worldwide, with over 23 years
experience designing telemedicine systems. We develop telemedicine
communication software, carts, and specialty medical devices that help
healthcare professionals provide clinical care from a distance.
For more information, visit www.amdtelemedicine.com.
Avera eCARE is a visionary model that provides rural patients 24-hour
access to specialty care physicians, expert nurses and pharmacists
through advanced information and communication technologies.
Providing rural access to quality health care is a central tenet of Avera’s
mission. This dedication to rural health care began with the work of
Avera’s founders, the Benedictine and Presentation Sisters, who answered
a call to serve by opening several of the first frontier hospitals in Dakota
Territory in the 19th century. Today, this tradition of caring is continued
through Avera eCARE, Avera’s telehealth network which provides services
in a seven-state area, ensuring that all patients, regardless of location,
have timely and efficient access to the care they need.
AVI Systems is an audiovisual, telepresence and broadcast systems
integrator focused on building professional solutions for business,
commercial, educational and government clients. With 16 offices
throughout the upper Midwest and on the West Coast, we have both
a regional presence and a nationwide scope of operation. As a 100%
employee-owned company, you can count on us to strive at providing
the latest audio-visual technologies plus the skilled production,
technical support and ongoing service for a wide variety of business
communication environments.
For more information, visit www.avisystems.com.
Behavioral Health Providers (BHP), a Minnesota non-profit
organization, began serving people with behavioral needs in 1996 and
established a quality network of over 5,500 mental health providers and
clinic combinations. In 2002, with this network and the development
of two innovative on-line applications the SchedulR and the Diagnostic
Evaluation Center (DEC®) System, BHP, in partnership with the University
of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview, opened the first site in the Fairview
Riverside emergency department. In 2012, we expanded this service to
rural hospitals using telehealth technology.
Learn more at www.bhpcare.com.
EXHIBITORS:

7. Thank you!A Special Thank You:
Since the establishment of the Great Plains Telehealth Resource &
Assistance Center (gpTRAC), we have been fortunate to have the
involvement and input of a number of telehealth leaders from each of
the states we serve. These leaders represent telehealth programs (two
per state) and rural health policy makers (one per state) and have been
extremely supportive of our efforts over the years. We greatly appreciate
their on-going support and guidance of the work of gpTRAC.
Program Advisory Council:
Iowa
Fred Eastman
CHI Mercy - Des Moines
Erin Houghton
Clarke County Hospital
Minnesota
Maureen Ideker
Essentia Health
Joan Broers
Mayo Clinic
Nebraska
Max Thacker
University of Nebraska
Medical Center
Wanda Kjar-Weekly
Good Samaritan - Kearney
North Dakota
Marsha Waind
Altru Health
South Dakota
Susan Berry,
Sanford Health
Sherrie Petersen
Evangelical Lutheran
Good Samaritan Society
Wisconsin
David Guggenbuehl
Gundersen Health System
DJ Curran
Dean Clinic
Rural Health Advisory Council:
Iowa
(recently open)
Minnesota
Tim Held
Office of Rural Health
Nebraska
(recently open)
North Dakota
Lynette Dickson,
Center for Rural Health
South Dakota
Kenneth Doppenberg
Office of Rural Health
Wisconsin
John Eich
Office of Rural Health
Panel Presentation #2 | 1:30pm | It’s Just Business!
Workforce Support
Amanda (Mandy) Bell, Avera eCARE
Avera’s approach to telemedicine focuses on the needs of the rural clinical workforce as much as the patient. Supporting
clinicians who are often asked to practice in isolation allows Avera eCARE to positively impact recruitment and retention and help
sustain rural health care. At the same time, eCARE’s programs provide opportunities for professional development and real-time
mentoring. Learn how this focus improves access in rural health care and ultimately leads to better outcomes for patients.
When the Student Becomes the Teacher: Engaging Medical Students to Improve Telemedicine Adoption
Elesa Wedemeyer, University of Iowa Health Care
Some providers meet telemedicine initiatives with “Why do I have to do this?” Our medical students often respond with “Why
aren’t we already doing this?” because they grew up with technology that makes telemedicine platforms often second-nature to
them. Those students are early-adopters and will be serving as ambassadors for telemedicine with more resistant or technology-
challenged providers through a new educational curriculum at the University of Iowa.
Practice Services vs Business Services
Beth Kreofsky, Mayo Clinic-Center for Connected Care
It can be challenging to differentiate between various service types offered at a large healthcare organization. At Mayo Clinic, we
are defining what Connected Care business services are needed to effectively meet virtual practice delivery needs. Standardized
processes, teams, and operations are being constructed for a synchronous service line that can grow and flex with the demand
for clinical video interaction.
Break/Exhibits
Concurrent Sessions | 3:15pm | Room locations will be announced
CHF & Remote Monitoring
Denise Buxbaum, Heart Failure Program Manager, and Maureen Ideker, Director of Telehealth, Essentia Health
St. Mary’s Heart & Vascular Center in Duluth, Minnesota has been nationally recognized for their ambulatory Heart Failure
Program. Key factors for their success include both care coordination and remote patient monitoring. In this session learn how
they have managed to reduce admission and re-admission rates for their 2,300 Heart Failure program patients. Recognize how
this model can work for any disease management program.
ADVICE Program
Janet Major, Associate Director of Facilities, Arizona Telehealth Network
The Arizona Diabetes Virtual Center of Excellence (ADVICE) was a comprehensive program for diabetes prevention, assessment,
and management utilizing the Arizona Telemedicine Program Network. It was “built” with a federal grant, followed by a state grant
and several years later ended as a successful collaboration among almost 400 organizations who are waging the war against
diabetes all over the state Arizona.
Workplace Telehealth
Scot Ramsey, Operations Administrator, Mayo Clinic, and Melissa Barr, Operations Manager, Mayo Clinic Health System, and David
Krenz, Superintendent, Austin Public Schools
Mayo Clinic Health System (MCHS) and Austin Public School (APS) have partnered to pilot a new telemedicine platform, called
Mayo Clinic Health Connection. The goal is to improve access, decrease overall healthcare costs, and improve overall health of
individuals within the community. The pilot will explore a shared saving/cost avoidance model between MCHS and APS. The
pilot will run one year from March 2014 to March 2015 and metrics will include patient satisfaction and engagement, utilization,
provider satisfaction, overall cost savings. Presenters from MCHS and APS will review the objectives and goals of this pilot, current
results, and early lessons learned.
General Session | 4:15pm
Telehealth Payment Policy Update
Aaron Fishbach, Policy Coordinator,
Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, Washington, DC
Participants will learn about Medicare telehealth services reimbursement policy – including understanding originating site
eligibility and distant site payment – and receive a brief update on Federal Office of Rural Health Policy telehealth activities.
EXHIBITS OPEN

8. session INFO
T U E S D A Y , A P R I L 7
KEYNOTE SESSION 2 | 8:15am
Open to New Possibilities, with a Watchful Eye Always on Patient Care
Joseph Tracy, Vice President of Telehealth
Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown, PA
Joe is the immediate past President of the Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law and a Past Chair of the American Telemedicine
Association’s (ATA) Institutional Council. In September, 2014 Mr. Tracy was also appointed to the Pennsylvania Department of
Health’s Telemedicine Advisory Committee.
In 2003, Mr. Tracy accepted the ATA President’s Award on behalf of the Missouri Telehealth Network and in 2006 he accepted
ATA’s Leadership Award for his individual contributions to the field of telehealth. In 2013, Joe was one of three members of the
Lehigh Valley Health Network to accept the ANCC’s Magnet Prize for “Telehealth Services.”
Panel Presentation #3 | 9:15am | Extending the Clinic Walls
Urban-Based Services
Joseph Tracy, Lehigh Valley Health Network
Making telehealth work in an urban environment, where traditional reimbursement is scarce, has been an on-going challenge for
many programs. Lehigh Valley Health Network has designed several telehealth programs specifically to serve urban-based clients.
This session will focus on these urban services including burn, ICU, infectious diseases, and EAP counseling.
FQHCs and Telehealth
Angela Chambers, PA-C, Horizon Health
Over the years, Horizon Health Care, Inc. has utilized telemedicine to provide access to specialty services for its patients in rural
and frontier South Dakota. More recently, Horizon has begun delivering primary care services to its patients via telemedicine
technology. With many of Horizon’s clinics being solo practitioner locations, the clinics often close their doors when the
practitioner is sick or leaves for vacation. Hear how Horizon, a Federally Qualified Community Health Center, has utilized
technology to improve access to acute care services in rural South Dakota. This session will focus on the types of patient visits
being addressed via telemedicine as well as successes and barriers encountered while delivering primary care services.
Telemed in Geriatric & Psychiatric Care Settings
Marsha Waind, Altru Health
Care managers in residential facilities located in rural communities have long struggled to network with specialist providers to
devise a workable patient care plan; while the distant specialist has little understanding of the restrictions and dynamics of small
rural facilities. Barriers were overcome to reveal positive outcomes for the patient, patient’s family, the provider, the facility.
BREAK
With a long-established telehealth background, Joe has a strong passion for doing it right. Joe will share his
thoughts about the new trends in telehealth. He will talk about the importance of keeping your program current
and moving forward with new and relevant patient services, while still paying attention to the reason why this is
all important…providing appropriate patient care!
Mr. Tracy has been working in the area of telehealth since 1993 and currently oversees the Lehigh Valley Health
Network’s telehealth program, which provides services to more than 27,000 patients a year.
Panel Presentation #4 | 10:30am | Innovations in Telehealth
Remote Monitoring and the Medical Home
Sherrie Petersen, Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society
LivingWell@Home is bridging the gap between the provider’s office setting (health care home) and the chronically ill patient
residing in community through remote patient monitoring coupled with specific technology hardware to provide insights to
early health status changes. Wellness coaching, education and validation of emerging conditions support early identification and
avoidance of unnecessary ED visits and hospitalizations. The presenter will share early findings in program (both qualitative and
quantitative) and opportunities for advanced integration through the development of HIE’s.
Expanding Substance Abuse Services into the Frontier
Stacy Trove, South Dakota Department of Social Services
This presentation will describe the development and implementation of the expansion of evidence based substance abuse
services for the South Dakota Criminal Justice Initiative into the Rural Pilot Program. The Rural Pilot program targets the criminal
justice involved population with a need for substance abuse services in rural areas. The use of technology is allowing access to
substance abuse services to those who have historically have been unable to receive services due barriers with their rural location.
Pharmacy Transformation
Win Vaughn, CHI Virtual Health Services
Virtual Health Services has been a pioneer in providing remote pharmacy to critical access and regional hospitals since 2009,
and is a provider of choice for both CHI and non-CHI hospitals across the country. Beginning in 2014, Virtual Health Services
has been partnering on and supporting a national Pharmacy Transformation initiative which focuses on improving clinical and
operational efficiencies across the CHI footprint. By providing remote pharmacy order review and entry, Virtual Health Services is
enabling innovative models by enabling CHI’s on-site pharmacists to become involved in collaborative care teams, provide patient
education, service anticoagulation clinics, and more to impact drug spend and improve patient safety and care.
Directed Group Discussion | 11:30am
Did one of the presentations raise a question that didn’t get answered for you? Were you looking for information on a specific
topic that wasn’t addressed at the forum? Are you looking for someone with experience in a specific area? This “open-mic”
discussion is your opportunity to share your thoughts.
LUNCH/ADJOURN
OPTIONAL TOUR
If you have an interest in participating in the tour of the LivingWell@Home program, please stop by the registration desk and sign
up. There is limited space available.