By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
    September 10, 2025
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Heroism in Harm’s Way
    February 21, 2015
    5 Things Every Trainee GP Should Know
    August 27, 2019
    Top 5 Facts About CPPA Accreditation
    April 9, 2015
    Latest News
    Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
    September 9, 2025
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: MATRC Telehealth Summit Meeting
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Mobile Health > MATRC Telehealth Summit Meeting
BusinessMobile Health

MATRC Telehealth Summit Meeting

joan justice
joan justice
Share
5 Min Read
Image
SHARE

Image

Image

The Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center (MATRC) Summit meeting was held at the Darden School for Business at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.  The meeting was organized and chaired by a great leader and advocate of telehealth (Dr. Karen Rheuban) and included such excellent VIP Keynotes as Aneesh Chopra, former assistant to the President and US Chief Technology Officer, and Marilyn Tavenner, Acting Administrator, CMS.

Image
Dr. Karen Rheuban

You can find all the presentations online at www.MATRC.org so I won’t go over those, but there are some takeaways from the meeting that I would like to mention.

More Read

Think of It as a Minute Clinic on Wheels
HHS Reform Timelines…Wiggle Room In Sight?
Are Online Doctor’s Appointments a Trend or New Reality?
NASCAR’s Hendrick Motorsports Takes Lead As Health Care Role Model
Five Tips for Folding FDA’s New Medical App Oversight into Your Business Strategy

I was at the conference last year (a slightly different format and title, but many of the same attendees and participants) and it was amazing to see how much more accepted telehealth has become.  In just one year, there has been an explosion in mHealth in general, and telehealth has certainly benefited.

Currently, it is difficult for someone knowledgeable about telehealth to argue that it is too expensive or exclusively for very rural areas, or not well accepted.  There are hurdles to overcome, sure, but the main thought is that telehealth will eventually become mainstream because it INCREASES QUALITY OF CARE AND REDUCES COSTS.  Yes, the equipment is expensive, but it will save money in the longer run.  Yes, it is critical in rural areas where there is no doctor present, but is also extremely beneficial in urban areas where there are many with chronic disease that need constant monitoring.  It is true that some doctors and providers still find it difficult to accept the concept, but they will be won over by the value-driven aspect of the service.

Kevin Barger from Anthem insurance states that Anthem supports telehealth and encourages its growth because:

  • It raises quality of care
  • It increases access to care
  • It provides continuity of care
  • It decreases time away from work
  • It decreases travel time and costs

This is encouraging news!

The leading states in telehealth are Alaska, California, Georgia and Arizona.  And Virginia is gaining ground. It is not surprising that some of the larger states like Alaska and California with larger rural populations see telehealth as an advantage.  However, it was mentioned that telehealth is making inroads into urban populations also.  The Cleveland Clinic is paying to extend broadband and video conferencing into some of its poorest neighborhoods so that the population there can access telehealth.  The clinic knows that telehealth can perhaps help in monitoring the chronically ill patients that live there and therefore avoid medical emergencies and increased ER visits.

State Licensure Boards are working on steps towards national licensure for physicians, nurse practitioners, clinical nurses, etc, so that they can practice health across state lines using telehealth services.

There are currently numerous telehealth programs that will work on laptops, tablets and even smartphones. 

However, words of caution: there is still much to be done.

William Wampler, Former VA Senator, Executive Director New College Institute, put it well when he advised that to build a telehealth network, you need to be savvy in legislature, policy, finance, business and administration (besides being a healthcare professional!) in order to get the job done.

Healthcare providers are doing all they can to cut costs and reduce spending.  They need to be convinced that a telehealth program will raise the quality of patient care and reduce their overall expenditures.  Legislature needs to be looked over, policies need to be written and the healthcare professionals need to be trained.  This entails diligence and time-consuming effort on the part of everyone.  Think, for example, of the issue of e-prescriptions.  Who can write them?  What about controlled substances? Can a doctor write them for a patient he has never “seen”?  A telehealth program is a complex project and should be recognized as such.

Healthcare providers should network and use the resources provided to them by organizations such as MATRC and ATA so that they can establish a telehealth system in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

TAGGED:MATRC Summittelehealth
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025

You Might also Like

Screen shot 2015-06-09 at 7.18.55 PM
FinancePublic Health

Having Insurance Doesn’t Always Pay: The case of the $1,700 mammogram

August 27, 2015

Will Your Local Hospital Exist in 10 years? Should it?

March 25, 2012
WEC healthcare
eHealthMedical InnovationsMobile HealthNews

WEF’s Top 10 Innovations for 2014: How May These Impact the Future of Healthcare?

March 27, 2014

Distance Medicine Will Transform Medical Practice

April 27, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?